Sister's grief
by litlgaurdian
Summary: When life becomes far to peaceful for only a moment a messanger from Tameran comes asking Starfire for gems she dosn't have. Starfire then leaves and Raven returnes home both finding a past and a future that should have remained uncovered.
1. Chapter 1: The message

Sister's grief

Chapter one:

The message

The day was calm and peaceful for a change, an event rarely seen anymore, and the titans were free to enjoy themselves. The first to suggest leaving the tower was Starfire, wanting to see some new movie that had come out, but to the rest of them it looked childish and boring with to many clouds and rainbows for the rest of them, so they all ended up staying home. Robin was there to keep her company anyway so she wasn't unhappy anymore. Cyborg had challenged BeastBoy to a new game he bought the moment the store opened and the two had been locked in combat since, regardless of the fact that the sun was beginning to set. Lastly Raven had her usual pastime that was boring to the others, but, by far, her favorite pastime: reading.

She had dug through her shelves and found a book she rarely read anymore. It was called _Untamed, _named after the heroin she admired as a child. For a moment the Azrathian was surprised she had the book anymore, it's heart wrenching tale almost to much for her, but she still opened it and read it once more promising herself that when she came to the end she would stop and put it away.

Only a few things distracted her from the Azrathian legend. One of which was the breathtaking view of the sunset still falling over the horizon of the city. Streaks of golden sunlight stretched out to the sky from behind skyscrapers. Clouds were painted by its light so they held an almost creamy shade of gold. Truly it was a beautiful sight.

The second was a bird that caught the attention of all in the room. It was almost exactly like an eagle, with the exception of its brightly colored feathers ranging from red to orange making it look like fire in the setting sun. It circled the tower once, twice, and then a third time before it changed the angle of its flight and tackled he widow that also served as a TV for Beastboy for the moment. Unlike other foul that hit the transparent glass before it broke through, its hard head crashing into the glass as its wings tucked in and it died.

Instantly the titans gathered around it, Raven sighing as she put down the book. Beastboy was already wining about having a dead bird right next to him. The Azrathian pulled him away from where it lay and looked to Starfire who knelt beside it. Her movements were slow, almost as if she to was grieving for the loss of the bird. She took from its talons, the muscles forever clasped around what she easily took from him, a small rolled piece of paper. At first Robin looked over her shoulder to read with her, but then stepped away.

"It is a message from Tameran!" She identified quickly, partially because it was written in her language. "It says, Surrender the gems?" She paused and gave the paper quizzical look, "That is a funny thing to ask of me. But that is all it says."

"But what are you giving up?" Robin asked, "If it's something important then you should have us go with you."

"I'd imagine it is, but, you see, I have no gems to give." She sighed and her head hung, "Perhaps I shall return home and the Grand Ruler shall make this clear to me."

"We'll go with you."

"No," She sighed instantly becoming sad, "Something tells me I must be alone. I feel as though something very, very bad will happen and I must be alone." Then, without saying good by to the leader she flew through the hole in the widow and soared higher into space.

Raven took the bird in her arms and started to walk away, but Beastboy stopped her, as she should have expected. "What are you gonna do with it?" he asked.

"Take him to the water and leave him there." She answered not wanting to hear the reaction that came instantly.

"You can't just dump him! He's an eagle! How'd you like it if someone started throwing ravens in the water for fun."

"I wouldn't care and he's not an eagle, he just looks like it." She sighed, "This is a Talmerainian Cesark, a trained messenger who expects no reply. His life's purpose is to deliver a message and keep the person he delivers it to from answering by dyeing. Afterward they are buried in water and it dissolves."

"But why? He should get like a funeral or something."

"He's not an earth bird. Out there, where people don't wonder if there is life on other planets, things are a lot different. Don't be surprised. You can join me if you want." He shook his head and then became a bird himself, no different than the one she held save for his green pelt, and flew away going she didn't want to know where.

On the rocky shore of the tower Raven took one last look at the bird and hesitated. It was wearing something, a chain necklace tight to its throat so it wouldn't slip off during its mission or suicide. Hanging from it was a pendant, nothing more than a small hexagon that held a small blood red symbol. It was impossible that she could see it, a small S with little red marks around it. The mark of scath, the symbol of her father, dead now for years. But was she really strong enough to kill him herself, or simply weaken his power?

Whatever the case she knew what she had to do now and took to the skies taking only a slightly different path of travel than Starfire did. She could have used magic, but wanted to delay the journey, she didn't want to go.

But somehow or another she was going to face Trigon again


	2. Chapter 2: The Fallen

O.K. I know I didn't do this before so I'm doing it now to be safe

**Disclamer:** I own nothing in the ways of Teen Titans and all things related to it. Teen Titans belong to DC comics and Cartoon Network. Any changes in plot, minor or major, are because I do not own it. Anything discussed may not necesseraly be either my opinion or that of DC.

Hope that took care of everything.

Starfire's going home and she will not like what she sees . . .

* * *

Fallen

She continued on through the endless realm of space. The endless cold and lack of oxygen to fuel the lungs her human friends depended on so much did not faze her in the slightest. She flew feeling no weariness until she saw her home world. The planed seemed so strange from the outside, like a great white sphere streaked with blood. Legends from before she was born would say that it once was, but she knew better than to believe in such stories. Below the atmosphere the land was vastly different than the view from above would cause one to believe. On earth where there is green there is earth, where blue there is water. But on Tameran where there is white and red there is only cloud and there is no guarantee of what will be found below. The Tameranian landscape was dry and baron for the most part. She remembered Robin telling her once that it reminded him of the deserts of earth, but it lacked the endless sand. To the other titans Tameran seemed boring, lacking what they thought was the breathstealing views they had become accustomed to on earth. But to her Tameran was the most beautiful place in all the universe.

Eager to be reunited with her home, even if for a while before she returned to her friends, she launched herself across the sky thinking only of her K'norfka. She imagined her guardian would be overjoyed to see her again as well, even if the circumstances were a bit strange. But as she came within sight of the royal city where she was born, grew up, and happy she started to slow and eventually stop, gasping in terror at what she saw.

The land was devastated.

The buildings that clung to the mountainside were scattered about, the Tameranians along with them. She flew over them, unable to blink as she thought of what she was seeing. So many of her people, gone, never to return. And her K'norfka, where was he?

Frantic with worry she searched through the remains tearing through mountains of steel and part of the mountain itself. After what may have been hours she lifted a section of wall, a beautiful combination of colored glass looking almost like one of the images she had seen in one of the earth churches, and at last finding who she searched for, flew to his side.

"Galfore!" She called his name but at first he did not move, "Please, my K'norfka, awaken. I wish not to lose you now. Galefore, please, do not be gone," But even as she begged small tears began to form as so many emotions began to form: overwhelming sadness for her guardian and friends as well as boundless fury and anger for whatever monster did this to her home. Like the humans had taught her she put her hear to his chest, her tears blending with the blood that lie there, listening to his heart. She could hear it, very faintly but she could. She called for him again, as if her voice alone could bring him from the gates of the afterlife. Slowly, very slowly, it seemed to.

When she thought to give up she buried her face in her hands, letting herself sob freely, she heard him say her name. "Koriand'r," he whispered, "At last you've come. Yet, it seems, you come to late."

"Galefore, what has become of our people?" She asked desperate for an answer wishing instantly that it was not asked.

"They came, that was what happened. What you see here is not only the result of here, but of all Tameran."

"NO!"

"I am sorry, little one, but it is true." He lay back his head and put his hand on Starfire's. He was so big compared to her, yet he was gentle. "I know for certain that I will die here, Koriand'r, and be with those who have gone before. I'll see you're mother again, I will. She'll be proud to see how you've turned out. And your father, I imagined he'll be impressed you beat Komand'r like you did with all the work he put into her and all."

"But I do not want you to die!" She cried, "I want you here, leading our people like the Grand Ruler I know you were."

"I am no grand ruler. The right person for the job was your sister before she went mad. Then it was your place. I could accept, be happy even, because of what you gave me. But I knew it was not what I was meant to be. I am your K'norfka and very little more than that."

"But you-"

"Hush now," His hand tightened over hers and he picked his head up again to see her. "Do not dwell on what was. Tameran is no more, we have lost and that is all that need be said. Do whatever you must not to be sad. You may, very well, be the last of our kind. May you always soar amongst the heavens."

"But who has done this?"

"I do not want you seeking revenge as they did, Koriand'r."

"I will not avenge you if you do not wish it. But I must know the monster that has done this to our planet."

"Very well," He sighed and closed his eyes. "It was Azrath, Koriad'r, Azrathians were the ones to do this." And with those as his final words his life ended leaving Starfire only to grieve.

Without hesitation she carried his body, walking in silence, to the closest body of water. It lay many miles away and the process took several hours, but she would lay him to rest properly. She whispered many ceremonial words through her tears as she sent him from soil to sea giving him the burial of Grand Rulers he deserved. And as he disappeared she whispered the lyrics to a poem he used to recite for her as a child before she slept before returning to the destroyed palace.

It was only as she leapt into the air did she attempt to contact her friends still on earth. Seeing Robin's face on the screen no bigger than her palm was comforting, but it did nothing to stop her sadness or her need to call them.

"Starfire," The boy's voice was instantly worried only by seeing her tear streaked face, "is everything alright? Did someone hurt you?"

"No, everything is not alright." She answered, "and, in a way, I have been hurt even if I am untouched."

"Did you take care of the gems?" Starfire hesitated. She had forgotten her purpose in coming here. It wouldn't matter now. There was no one to surrender them to.

"It seems there is no one here in search of them."

"Then you'll be coming home then?"

"I am afraid not, Robin."

"You . . . you're leaving us."

"I did not say that, but, rather, you are coming to get me. I cannot return to earth on my own. Certain events here have left me . . . "she hesitated, searching for the words, "powerless. I am unable to return to Earth on my own ability. I simply ask that you come and find me."

"We'll be there."


	3. Chapter 3: Surrender

I know it's a little soon but I might not be able to update tomorrow

Raven returns home to face Trigon a second time.

* * *

Surrender

She returned. Words did not describe how much she hated the action but she was doing it.

Azrath was a world destroyed by her father's tyranny and, the last time she had been there, baron. The planet's only inhabitant was her mother, what would have been queen if this was a human planet. She was young, like many Azrathians were, when she made her mistake. The mistake that was the cause of so many deaths.

Raven wouldn't be like them, she wouldn't make that mistake.

The city she reached, the whole of it lying on a shard of a planet. It was all that was left and perhaps she was thankful. There was only one part of Azrath worth seeing and it was destroyed long ago. Trigon said it was a land conceived of rebellion, foolishness, stupidity, and raw emotion. Azrath had no place for it.

But the city was different this time.

Yes the buildings stood, a strange shade of yellow in their walls, and yes the birds flew above, the white doves of her mother the most common of them. But the last time she had been here it was empty, a fact that was no longer true. It was not only inhabited by the Azrathians she thought never to see again, but it was crowded. The people fought to get through the streets, some stuffed so close together Raven wondered how they had oxygen to spare on the planet. Soaring above them the roadways was nothing more than a blur of red and blue shifting and changing as a flame.

But they were gone before, she was here. How could they have returned?

One of them, a child still in her white robes, looked up and saw her. The child screamed and went to her mother who looked up and pointed at her screaming. "Traitor!" She said and others joined them. To many joined them. She wouldn't tell them they were wrong, but she never meant to betray anyone, only did what she had to. She was going to at least try to justify herself, but when a rock tore through her cloak she decided it would be best to follow the path to the castle and say nothing to them. But the insults would not stop no matter how fast she went.

The castle she reached, a blood red building surrounded by a high wall and low-tech defenses. Trigon could summon legions of his followers with a stare; he didn't need technology to protect him. The guard, a boy who had just broken into his red robes tried for a moment to stop her, but he saw her face and stood aside.

She was expected.

The throne room was, unsurprisingly, hardly different than that of the humans with the exceptions of the much darker decorations. Thick columns lined the straight black velvet path to Trigon. He sat, his size much smaller than the one he used on earth but still towering over her, and smiled when she came into view.

"So, my dear daughter," He said, "You have decided to join me. I truly am delighted."

"You know why I'm here." She spat with venom in her words. But despite how much she hated him when she was close enough she still dropped to one knee and bow her head with her hands on the carpet before him. Daughter or not she was still subject to the laws that demanded respect in his presence.

"That I do. I knew you would be the one to decipher my message, even if it lead the tamerainian girl home to a little present I left for her. And I suppose you brought them with you?"

"What did you do to Starfire?" Her head snapped up towards him, but she didn't stand.

"To her I have done nothing, but she will see and you will soon know. Now, do you have the Azrathian Gems or not?" At his words she looked down and saw them. Each ruby gem surrounded by gold that bound them together and formed a ring that she had worn as a belt since she left. She had them, but why he wanted them was beyond her.

"What are you planning, Father?" She asked knowing he would not answer her directly.

"I have need of them again."

"But you used them before, several decades ago, to give yourself power over fire. I imagine you gave that power to Slade before you took it away from him. Why would you need them back?"

"A gift for a friend of mine you could say. And I am unwilling to surrender your power again."

"You don't have any friends."

"You haven't seen me in such a long time, my daughter. Things have changed. Now, will you give them to me, or will I have to force them from you?"

"Tell me who gets their power." She demanded finally rising to her feet. Her hands had already balled into fists only ready for him to strike her down. "I won't surrender them otherwise."

He only threw back his head and laughed. When he composed himself and stood Raven was reminded of how big he was. The tips of his horns touched the bottoms of the high ceiling when he stood full height. "Who are you to challenge me?" He asked. "You may have won once, but you only succeeded in weakening me. But now I have grown back to full power, beyond that even. Come now, challenge me if you dare, and I will send you to the netheregions. You would like that, wouldn't you? You'd get to see your rebellious friends again. Your brother even."

"Leave him out of this." She growled the words remembering the boy she rarely saw. "You killed him anyway."

"He took his own life. He was weak and would not survive in my empire. At least he died longing for death. I gave him a gift."

"You took the Untamed with him!" For an instant, and only one, she felt herself willing to cry. But no, she couldn't do it in front of him. It wouldn't matter. He would hear the way her voice broke when she said it. She would always believe what she believed, no matter what the history books or legends say.

"Weakness in my daughter." He shook his head and raised a fist. When he brought it down it was not empty but held a whip tipped with fire. It struck her robe on the shoulder, burning the cloth away and breaking the skin, and she crumpled under the pain. Humans could not have understood how the whip made it feel as though he blood had turned to fire, but it did. "Last chance to give them to me."

Her hands shook as she undid the loose fitting belt around her waist. An unwilling tear fell as she knelt again, the chain of gems resting on her palms. She had promised herself, promised the Untamed after she died, that she wouldn't let him have them again. And now, here she was.

She could only imagine what gift he had left for Starfire to find.

He took the gems greedily, separating each one from the chain and leaving the gold behind. In one hand he took the ruby gems, polished and smooth and flawless as they were, and crushed them into nothing more than dust. The dust he poured into a small flask he held, no doubt to give to his ally later.

"Now, the second treasure, give it to me as well."

"I don't have any other treasures."

"You, Raven, are my only living descendant. Only you could have it. Now." He stretched out his hand awaiting the treasure she barely remembered. But when she shook her head saying she didn't have it he attacked.

Without needing to be told Raven fled. Her turned back being struck by his whip several times before she was free of him and out of the palace. When the pain overwhelmed her and she collapsed on the smooth, red marble steps she realized she was not safe there as well.

An other one of the pesants saw her and screamed again. "Death to the traitor!" They cried and they came in mass. All around her, in every direction, they came with hatred in their eyes. It took her only a moment to gather her focus and levitate, but it was all they needed. She felt the claws of mothers and the fists of husbands before she could manage to get away. But even above them they still shouted and threw whatever they could reach.

Only by sheer luck did she make it off the planet alive.


	4. Chapter 4: With Friends Like These

Sorry it took so long to upload, I was a little busy.

The Titans land on Tameran to retreive Starfire and learn of a new past and hatred.

* * *

With Friends Like These . . .

They could see the damage done to her home as they descended below the red streaked clouds. Everything was gone and all that remained was Starfire. She did nothing to hide the sadness in her eyes, her face, even in her stance. When they landed and went to stand beside her she held herself in her arms and her gaze dropped to the soil.

"Starfire," Robin was the one to reach for her, unsurprisingly. "What's happened here?"

"Azrathians came." She answered sadly. Her voice was quiet as though the effort to speak was to much. "They destroyed everything and everyone. I have searched as much as I could of Tameran, yet find no one. My people are dead and I . . . "She paused as a sob came, "I did nothing to save them."

Robin opened his mouth to say something, anything that would comfort her. But she had thrown herself at him before the words came. Her head she buried in his shoulder and she cried endlessly. Robin could do nothing; only wrap his arms around her. He wanted to tell her everything would be alright, but he knew it was a lie. He couldn't lie to a member of his team, couldn't lie to her.

"What's gonna happen to this place?" Beastboy asked after what must have been a half hour. At his words she struggled but composed herself enough to speak.

"The Azrathians who destroyed it will likely return and claim the planet as their territory. And we were so kind to them before . . . "

"Why would they want to destroy you?"

"Why did the crusaders of your planet rage war on those just south of them? Why did the ones called settlers drive away the natives that inhabitated the land before them? Why did the Cortez destroy an entire nation and have another vanish from the pages of history? The answer is same: We are different."

"So, because you aren't the same they destroyed you completely?" Cyborg asked this time still looking at what remained of the royal city as he did.

"Perhaps, in a way, yes." She sighed, "A thousand years ago Azrath and Tameran were sister planets. We circled the same sun and we followed the same orbit. There was not a night that passed where we could not see Azrath among the stars. The only thing that was not known was if our ancestors were able to stand each other. But somewhere in history they decided that two nations so completely different could not survive together and a great war erupted between us. Then, perhaps a year before I was born, the war ended by my fathers hand. But he was a kind Grand Ruler, Galefore tells me for I never met him, and spared Azrath. Now they have come to finish what was begun all those years ago. My kind truly are a peaceful race, but we can be driven into ferocity."

"I'm sorry Starfire. If there was anything we could have done-"

"No, you did not know my relation with the Azrathian people. You could not have fully understood why Raven and I could not get along at first. This is why and you had nothing to do with it. There is no need for you to apologize." Then Starfire raised her head and looked around her. Fate seemed to be having its own fun with her as her fist tightened in realization.

Raven was gone.

When she asked of where she had gone Robin only answered, "She disappeared after the bird came. We haven't seen her since."

"Then she knew of what was to come and fled before she would need to face me." Her eyes began to glow and emerald spheres of pure energy formed at her hands as fury for her traitor friend rose in her. Robin stepped forward and gripped her shoulder to calm her, but it had little effect.

"Dude, Raven wouldn't do something like that," Beastboy defended, "She's our friend."

"It wouldn't be the first time she's kept secrets from us would it?" Cyborg said only making Starfire worse.

"Yeah, but I saw her after the bird came, before she left. She just went to go put the Cesark in the water so it would dissolve. She even asked me to come with her. She wasn't planning to leave."

"So something happened between when you saw her and now that made her want to leave." Robin concluded, "But what?"

"She knew you would not follow to attend the funeral of an animal." Starfire answered, "She had no intention of staying; only making it seem so."

"Starfire, we can't just jump to conclusions."Robin told her, "I know she's had her share of secrets, but it's always been in an attempt to protect us. Look I know your hurting-"

"You do not know _what_ I'm going through." She snapped. "You could not even begin to understand the amount of pain this gives me and what it means. I am the last of my kind, the only Tamerainian left. What am I to do now? I am truly alone in this universe and I have Raven to blame for it."

"We don't know that yet. And you know your not alone, you have us. We're still your friends and we're still here. We're not leaving you Starfire."

Her energy faded and she returned to the mournful state she was in before they had talked to her. This time Robin went to her first, holding her in his arms before she could collapse with grief. He stayed with her during the ride home managing to fit the both of them in her section of the T-sub. She sat on his lap with her arms around his neck and her head buried in his shoulder. He could only hold her like he had before.

There was no end to this.

Even when they returned home she did not fly, hardly even spoke. She went through the kitchen, found her pudding of sadness, untouched for such a long time, and went to her room. Robin followed part of the way, but when she locked the door to her room he figured she was better off alone, for the moment. But as he walked away he heard her whisper over and over, almost as if it were a chant, a single sentence.

"I am not the Warrior," She said, "I am not the Warrior."


	5. Chapter 5: Return

Raven makes her way home at last . . . but is that best for her?

* * *

Untamed

She shook her head and looked to the stars that hovered in space closer to her now than they had ever been on Azrath or Earth. How far had she gotten from the planet before she finally made it here? A look over her shoulder told her she was not far. The crater she managed to call a resting place may well have once been a remnant of the now shattered planet. The city seemed so close and she wondered briefly of the people could see her there, watching them. Looking over herself she could see he robe was torn in so many places, almost tattered at the ends of it. Her arms had bad bruises on them, the only shield she could manage to make to protect her face. A flash of pain revealed a slash in her chest made by a knife. How she had not noticed it until now did not concern her, but more the miracle that was the fact that it was only millimeters from her heart. She was lucky it didn't take her life. It didn't mater now, she was free of them for now and soon her friends would tend to her injuries.

But how long would she be free?

She was only out here because Trigon let her go. She didn't have what he wanted, the second of the three treasures of Azrath. Where it had gone she could never say. She would admit to stealing the gems before she left, but any of the others no. It wasn't hers. But then, only those with the demon blood of her father could carry the treasures. Any others who touched them would surely die a painful death. Such was the curse Trigon placed on them to keep them in his care. But there was no one else to take them so where had they gone?

Raven took to the air. Her mind was clouded, her thoughts confused, and her emotions beginning to stir. She desperately needed to get to the tower and meditate. It probably wouldn't hurt to use her mirror, providing she could find it from where she had hidden it from Beastboy and Cyborg.

In all honesty the last place she wanted to go was the tower. She didn't want to face her friends and tell them that the greatest enemy that the universe has ever seen has returned, likely more powerful than before, and that he has friends. She didn't want to tell them she failed in destroying them before, only prolonged their fate. She didn't want to see what present he left for Starfire knowing it couldn't be anything she wanted to hear. For a moment she was afraid to know of what Starfire would be like upon her return. The girl's emotions would have led to so many horrible things if she were Azrathian.

She had her answer them moment she reached the atmosphere of the blue and green planet.

A wall of emerald energy met her and the nearly powerless Azrathian could only move out of the way to avoid it. Behind it was Starfire herself, her eyes glowing with rage as she rushed at her. Before she could react Starfire had gripped her shoulder and threw her into the rocky island that held the tower. Just as she stood to run Starfire was there again, driving the air from her lungs as she forced her into the ground.

"Starfire, what are you-"

"Silence, traitor." Starfire growled. As her eyes narrowed a hand clasped around her throat. Raven fought but knew she had no chance. The Tameranian body was ten times stronger than the Azrathian at the least. She did try to scream for help as darkness began to close on her, but no sound could come forth.

So, this was how she would die: At the hands of her friend.

* * * *

"RAVEN!" The voice called out to her from the darkness of the world.

"Arella," She answered her mother's call, though her voice was frail and weak, barely able to reach above a whisper, "I'm here mother."

What answered her was a laugh, "I'm not your mother silly," She said, "Haven't I taught you better?"

"Who? No, you can't-" She tried to stand, but instantly pain coursed through her head and she fell to her knees. "How are you here?" She pressed her head in her hands as if to make the pain go away, but it only brought images of herself surrounding her, each in a different colored robe.

"She can't be here." The yellow version of herself said. "She left along time ago. I know it and, therefore, you know it as well."

"Then why do I still hear her?"

"You read the story before the bird came. Maybe we want to hear her."

"Maybe," the red raven spoke up, "we're replacing her and memory doesn't like it."

"We could never replace her," The gray one said, never stepping forward and always shrinking back as Red turned to her, "We're not good enough to replace her. We never have been, nor ever will."

"I read the book because it was there. I thought I had forgotten about it."

"We could never forget her," Yellow said,

"I know that, but without her-"

"We are nothing." Gray finished for her and Raven's head dropped.

"Maybe not. Maybe the untamed left something for us?"

"Don't be so foolish." Raven told her, "I know it and, therefore, you know it as well."

"Still," The pink version said, "It doesn't hurt to hope dose it? To think the Untamed left something, a story maybe, or a way. It could mean everything."

"She didn't leave anything. She's gone now and not coming back and all of us know it!" She screamed the last sentence and all of them flew off in different directions, disappearing in darkness leaving her to weep alone

Light appeared overhead and it all ended.

* * * *

She was alive. How she didn't know but she was.

Her eyes opened to the sound of her pulse beeping above her. At first the world was blurred, to bright for her to stand, but slowly came into focus. She was in the tower, the other titans around her. All that held Starfire back was Robin who stood almost in front of her, holding her hand. At the sight of her reaching consciousness her hands became fists of energy and her eyes blazed with green fire.

"Dude, you're alright!" Beastboy yelled, a sound she didn't mind hearing, but the volume made her head hurt. When she moved to sit up it was Cyborg's great hand that held her down. Heavy as it was, it was still comforting.

"You probably don't want to do that." He warned. He was proved right when she brushed his hand away and sat up anyway. Pain filled her head, just as it had before, and she fell back with a moan.

"What happened to me?" She muttered meaning the meeting with her emotions just as much as physically from the attack.

"Starfire beat you good once you got back," Cyborg reported. His mechanical body left him with more knowledge of the human body than any of the others. He needed to know exactly what he had replaced and such. "A broken shoulder and a few ribs, but it was nothing your boy didn't fix on its own while you were out."

"How long has it been?"

"10 days."

"Yeah, Cyborg totally didn't think you were gonna make it, but I said 'dude, it's Raven we're talking about here,' and it turns out I was right."

"You didn't say any of that."

"Well I was thinking it. It counts."

"But why?" She looked to Starfire as if the action would answer her.

"You know _exactly_ why." She snapped, "You survived then only because it was them who spared you. But believe me I will have vengeance one way or another."

"What happened?"

"Star went home like she said," Robin told her, "Everything was destroyed, everyone gone."

"Then that was the gift he left," She sighed. She was surprised at herself for not having guessed. "Starfire, I didn't know. I'm sorry."

"You knew. You knew all to well and you left on purpose knowing what happened."

"I never knew. The bird wore a chain around its neck that bore the Mark of Scath. I went home. That is all." The raging tameranian calmed, but did not fully lower her defenses.

"Wait, but if you found that thingy, then that means-"

"I never fully destroyed him. And to make matters worse he's gotten himself a friend, something he's never done before. I can't say who it is, he didn't tell me, but whoever they are has to be extremely powerful. He said he had a present for you, but didn't tell me what."

"I will not believe you."

"What I'm telling you is-"

"Nothing more than an elaborate lie." Again she growled, "I saw you when you defeated him. No one in this universe or any dimension could have stood up to you then."

"But he did." She tried again to sit up, this time succeeding even if it hurt, "And he's out there hunting for what I don't have."

"So the message earlier-"

"Was for me, yes. It was only written in her language to get her to go home. He set it up from the start."

"So what were they?"

"The Gems of Azrath are one of three treasures Azrath holds. The gems I've kept with me on my belt so they'd always be with me. It grants power over fire to any who use it. He used it a long time ago and let Slade borrow the power. But now he wants to give the power to his ally.

"The second, if I remember right, was something about a hero. I thought he had it, but apparently I was wrong. He wants it now and will do anything to get it."

"And you don't remember what it does?" Robin asked

"No, though I'd imagine its in one of my books." She answered before silently adding, '_you had the Untamed's legend in there, why not?'_

"And the last one?"

"The Lost Treasure. Trigon never used it and tossed it away. No one knows what it does or where it even is. Unless I were to find it I wouldn't be able to figure out what it did. Sorry."

"A little less useful than it could be." Robin said, "But at least we know what happened."

"_I_ already did." Starfire said and ran out of the room. She was able to fly before when she attacked her, why didn't she now.

"Is she gonna be alright?" Raven asked once she was gone.

"It'll take some time for her to get better, but I doubt she'll ever fully heal." Robin said then left following after her. Raven could imagine he was her main source of comfort.

"I'm sorry," She said looking at her feet, "about everything."

"There's nothing to apologize for." Cyborg told her.

"I could have prevented this if I had only destroyed him completely."

"You did what you could," Beastboy told her and gently laid her back down. His touch gentle on her previously wounded shoulder. Like Cyborg said, the wounds had healed but the soreness still remained. "You need to get some rest."

It took some time of staring into the darkness of her eyelids, but, in the end, she obeyed him like a servant.


	6. Chapter 6: The Rouge

While recovery continues the other worlds will not bother to wait.

* * *

The Rouge

The others were gathered in the main room, save for Raven still in recovery from Starfire's assault. The attack had been swift and powerful, a reminder to the team how powerful the dainty young Tameranian could be. With the way she was, always happy and cheerful, it was a trait in her far too easy to forget. But now she was distant and easy to reach. Only Robin was able to reach her, but the moments were rare and short. Now she stood in front of the window that overlooked the sea and whispered things in her own language that the Titans could only guess at their meaning.

No matter how time passed the mood was always gloomy. The fact that the symbol of optimism for the group was now lost in sorrow made it harder for the rest of them to be cheery. Even Beastboy lost the will to annoy with his senseless jokes. He had actually taken a lot of interest in Raven becoming her primary caretaker, providing that she was asleep when he was there. The others helped him survive this time by not telling her he was there. Cyborg was less loud keeping to his car and grill more than ever, but still finding things to do outside.

Robin, it seemed, was the least changed. While the presence of Trigon did spark a fear of Slade's return he doubted his enemy would side with the red demon again and let the fear fade. Starfire was the greatest of his interests, but she would not be touched by any. But he had taken to doing what he always did when problems arose: Obsessing.

He remembered Starfire's words well when they brought her back. 'The Warrior' Who was he? Starfire had never mentioned such a title before though he did not doubt that her people honored warriors after hearing about their war with Azrath. But for the title to be given to a specific person meant it was someone of significant importance to the planet. Being that she was the last it only made since for the title to fall on her, probably the reason for her to cry it as if denying it was ever to come. Perhaps the laws the Warrior followed discouraged her from standing and taking the position. Not like there was anyone to force her to take it.

He shook his head. It wasn't his place to wonder about such things. Starfire would tell them when she was ready, just as Raven did when her birthday passed. She just needed time, nothing more. Until then she wasn't in condition to do anything else.

He cringed at the thought of letting her do anything. A call for a simple robbery and her rampaging emotions left the poor man almost paralyzed. She did apologize but her initial response was that he deserved his fate for the crime he committed. The line between right and wrong was becoming blurred for her and she needed to be controlled.

That didn't stop the world from going bad. He was reminded of this when the communicator went off. The voice on the other end said they wanted just to see him, to talk. So far there wouldn't be a fight, but the fear in the voice told him there may be one very, very soon.

"Beastboy," He called and the green shapeshifter lifted his head. He would never admit what he was doing, but they knew anyway. Again, they wouldn't tell. He dropped the book written in the alien language and came to him. "You and me are going to check this out. Cyborg, you keep Starfire away from Raven." He nodded and the only sign Starfire gave of even knowing he spoke was a slow blink. Hesitantly robin left only after Cyborg said he could handle her. After what he had seen he wasn't sure.

Robin went to the ground where his T-cycle was waiting for him. Beastboy went higher to the ceiling where the pterodactyl was already flying. He wouldn't get to far ahead. He didn't know where he was headed. Robin quickly started the engine and was off.

The world around him was a blur and he had eyes only for what was ahead of him. The blue-green tint of the helmet distorted the color of the world, but only slightly. Moments passed as he weaved in and out of city traffic, his reflexes sharper than that of the masked heroes before him. The people noticed him, few couldn't, and reacted in different ways from watching in awe to shaking their fists and cursing at his, in their terms, reckless driving. But he was just doing what he needed too to get where he needed to be. When he turned and pulled back on the break lever and skidded to a stop he left the motorcycle behind. No one would dare steal form the Titans, much less their leader. Beastboy landed behind him and became human then followed. No doubt his thoughts were elsewhere. A command to focus brought him close enough to caring let pass.

"Talk to me," He said once he was inside. The man, possibly twice his age, who had been expecting him and probably the whole team, nodded and then talked as if it were the boy who were higher rank than him. This, of course, was not true, but when Robin had the resource of a raging Tameranian no one was to question him.

"We have the image here, in the screening room." He said in his deep voice that commanded respect from those below him, "Whatever it is, it's fast and it took even our best satellites to catch this." The two heroes were lead into a room much like a small theater complete with a stage and podium. A projection screen had been lowered down over the stage and the overhead projector displayed the image.

The satellite showed the earth from above, the cities and cars and people all moving at their normal pace. For a moment all seemed normal and when the thought crossed the hero's mind the image was covered with black that disappeared so quickly that if he had blinked he would have missed it.

"Dude, what _was_that?" Beastboy asked.

"That's why we brought you here."

"Back it up and slow it down." Robin ordered and it was done. When the black came again he told them to stop and again it was done. "there, a spot! Zoom in on it." The image came closer seeing the faintest of blue.

"dude, It's like raven." Beastboy said and for a moment Robin thought it was her before he remembered she was still recovering.

"It may be an Azrathian. A scout, messenger, or maybe just a rouge. Whatever the reason keep watch on him, just don't make him feel like he's being watched. If he's not a friend he might attack. I'll ask Raven what she thinks and we'll get back."

"Do it quick before he decides to either attack or report back to its master."

"With Trigon back," Beastboy thought, "That's probably not the best of choices."

"We'll talk to her."

* * *

Thank all of you for staying with me as long as you have, it really means a lot to me. Please tell me _everything_you guys think about it. I practically live off of knowing what all of you think. And again, Thanks!!


	7. Chapter 7: The Untamed

Raven decides to find if what her vision was true and see if the Untamed really left something for her . . .

* * *

Untamed

"It is Azrathian," She confirmed when they brought an image of what they saw to Raven. She was getting closer to full recovery, her mind taking the greatest of injury. But for her that was important and until she could control herself she was more of a hazard than an asset. "But why they're here I don't know. She could be looking for the treasure, but I doubt it. Women usually aren't chosen to do anything."

"How do you know that's a girl?" Cyborg asked.

"It's in the cloak. Boys wear red, girls have blue, and children are white, too pure to be stained by color just yet. But the fact that it is a girl makes it unlikely she's an enemy, but more likely a runaway. It's happened before."

"She is here as a spy, wanting to destroy the last of my kind." Starfire said. Why they let her here Raven wished she knew. "You will probably tell them where I am once I turn my back on you."

"I'm not going to hurt you Starfire."

"Do not try to lie to me."

"Starfire, I've been to your planet before, I've been inside your body before. I know everything I could need to. If I wanted to kill you don't you think I would have done it already?" starfire didn't respond but left. For a moment there was silence before Beastboy brought the subject back to the rouge.

"They ran away?"

"Very few of us try because we know how much it angers Trigon. Azrath is his realm and those in it are his property. It's hardly different than the slaves in this country's past. Trigon might try to hunt her down, track her here. But he might be to worried about his treasure. For once, he knows as much as we do."

"We'll go out and find her," Robin told her, "See what she wants. If she is a runaway we'll protect her from your father."

"Don't make her feel threatened, and don't attack her in any way. Don't hide your weapons, don't surround her, and, whatever you do, don't touch her robe." Robin nodded and left with the others starting to follow. "Beastboy," She called to the last one to head out of the room.

"You need to rest still." He told her,

"My body's fine. I need one of my books. Go in my room and get the one on my bed." She told him and then added, "And don't touch anything else!" She sighed wondering why she trusted him to go in her room and laid her head back. He came back and gave her the book and left.

Raven ran her hands over the book, the leather cover smooth against her fingertips. It was cool, almost cold, like the air in her room was. Her time here had almost made her forget how cold she normally liked it. She ran her fingers over the name engraved in the cover in various colors, the corners of the pages bearing flowers, the spine bearing swords and spears. The back of it bore the image of a stallion, his pelt scarlet like blood. Its eyes were a deep violet and its silver hooves were engulfed in flames. When the image was captured the wild stallion was rearing, it's watery blue mane and tail waving behind it madly and its mouth was open as it trumpeted. On the ground beneath the fire was the red bridle and whip Trigon would use all to willingly. This was the animal representation of the heroin in the story. _Untamed._

Raven looked away from it, would she really force herself to reread it yet again. She needed to see if she had left something for her, though she doubted she did. But she bent back the cover and started to read.

_In the years of war Azrath faced as much trouble on its own soil as it did on the enemy's. The people were dieing, starving, subject to disease and infection. The healers of our land could only separate the sick and the weak. Our leader, as gracious as he may be, had worries to many to fret with the well-being of the weak. Those who could not fight did not deserve to breed. Those who fought bravely and were machines of war against the enemy were given the title Prince._

_But there was one warrior, one who dueled several times against the Tameranian Warrior, the greatest of our enemies, and lived. But this brave Azrathian Prince was no prince, but a Prince_sses. _Yes, the greatest warrior Azrath had_ _ever known was a female. Bering blue robes she wielded the ancient weapon, a heavy sword with a long handle, and charged at the enemy. She was unstoppable, she was undefeatable, she was uncontrollable, she was untamed. And such was the name she began to be called: Untamed. So often was she called this that her true name was nearly forgotten lost in the sands of time. Few remember the name she was born with. When she charged into battle those behind her were unafraid for they knew the battle would be theirs. _

_But as time passed the Untamed found little use for herself in war and she found interest in few other things. The Untamed began to fully live out her name, being bound by no master. She dared even to rebel against Our Lord Trigon, yet rarely was she punished. She freed his prisoner, enslaved for purposes she deemed unworthy. She, only once, went into battle but her blade drew no blood, fighting against her own people as well as enemy to prevent death. Even the enemy began to fear her less._

_Then came a Prince to take her away. Krein was his name and he was not the greatest of Princes. Rarely did he even make the rank and only because his father was a Prince before him. Now Krein had watched the Untamed for many years, since he took on his rank several years before. He was the first brave man to ask her for her hand._

Raven stopped for what would not be the first time. The warrior life she remembered for the untamed would change so very much from this point on. She wasn't certain if she wanted to see if she could find what was left behind.

_The Untamed rejected the young Prince's offer, though many still question why. Her own words were simple and plain. "I cannot live with a man who is as cruel to his people as is Trigon." And Krein set out to change._

_He went to his father, the Prince Decak, and asked for the land he would inherit after the man died. His father was reluctant, but gave the land readily. What would have been half the size of the royal city was now in his control. The land was mostly farmland but what the Prince lacked in skills as a warrior he made up for as a leader._

_When he returned for the Untamed she was hesitant to see him, but she did and he took her to his land and showed her all he had made. She agreed that the land truly was beautiful, more so than anything she had ever seen. And before the moon rose again the two were married, Prince and Princess together. For the first time the Untamed had a master._

Again she hesitated to read on. Already the memory of the land Krein had created was beginning to resurface. The Untamed had taken her there a few times under the oath that she not tell Trigon she had seen it. The land truly was beautiful, the land engulfed in flowers. The people had been given freedom to life as they pleased and they had chosen to do so in song, poetry, art, and the tending of the sea of flowers. So many flowers stretched on for so many miles. Once Raven thought to cross the vast sea of endless color, but could not. Standing in its center she could not see its end. The land they created had come to be called the Peacelands.

Again she he considered whether or not she should read, but did it just the same.

_Then came a time when Trigon searched the land for the Untamed. Though she had no master before he had decided that she has had her share of rebellion and it was time for her days of fighting against him to end and for her to finally have him as her master as it should have been. But in his search he came across the Peacelands and turned up his nose at what he saw. With the wave of his hand the sea of flowers was reduced to ash and the city the people had built up was destroyed._

_As for The Untamed and the Prince responsible for the creation of this land they made, he punished them to a life of exile. Both were sentenced to different planets to live without their lover for the remainder of their lives. What was left of them was a short life for as they reached their new home the diseases of the new world instantly entered their bloodstream and the both of them died._

Raven stopped and closed the book. No matter how hard she clenched the spine her fingers still shook. She closed her eyes tightly and she shook her head as tears fell. It truly was the most heart-wrenching tale she could have ever hoped to hear, but if anyone else were to read it they would say they heard worse. But she knew why.

The end of the legend was a lie.

And as the truth of the tale flooded into her mind, a truth she knew because she and Trigon alone witnessed it, she curled into a ball and let herself cry for the death of her dear friend. She cried and cried but as the memory came and passed she could not remember anything being left behind for her.


	8. Chapter 8: Survivor

_Higher,_

The command came from her instinct rather than her mind. But she knew she couldn't. She was on the roof and could go no higher. She could not fly still though days had passed since her return. She could run or ride behind Robin with her arms wrapped tight around his waist when the others allowed her to leave. She always had someone with her when she did, her closest friends still afraid to let her run on her own. She could understand them, after letting them see what she had done to Raven. That kind of power she was unaccustomed to.

The was never meant to be the Warrior, she was never meant to have such power.

But now it was, undeniably, and unquestionably, the power, and responsibility that came with it was hers and hers alone. And there was no way she could leave it. If there had been some other Tameranian, someone else of her race she trusted, she would have willingly given the position away without a second thought. But there was no one, nothing. Except . . . maybe . . .

The moment the thought tore through her mind she was off, soaring like she used to at speeds she wasn't used to. The others would follow suit, she knew, all but Raven still unable to fight. She deserved it. But within minutes she was free of the atmosphere and a few more left her clear of the planet's gravitational pull. With the pull on her body gone she went even faster, her hair blowing back behind her despite the windless void of space. With a glance over her shoulder she saw her follower, a mere speck on the black wall behind her, but the fire of the T-ship was much different than the gasses of a star and she easily recognized it. Whoever was in it was harder for her to determine.

She flew onward, her first glimpse of hope restarting her ability of joy. If there was hope . . . if only this feeble hope could be reality. She could fly again because of this hope. She could only imagine what more of herself she would lose if she failed even here.

As the planet neared she threw herself into one of the blood streaks of the clouds and followedthe curved trail only she would see. Whether or not her persurer could see her or not in the thick scarlet fog she did not know or care. Onward through the pathways as though it were a labyrinth of evaporated blood that clung to her hair and skin as she soared onward.

But then, suddenly, she stopped. Her destination reached.

What stood before her was a mountain great enough to reach the clouds. No earthly construction or landmark could match the might of the stone structure. Yet in the steep monster there was only one opening, one cavern that was only less than ten meters from its peak. It was through this entrance that Starfire flew, the only one that could enter should her follower have managed to keep pace. The opening was only wide enough for a person to enter and had to steep a drop for and human to consider safe. Only those who could find happiness could enter and for her entering and finding the treasure that lay within was a happier thought than anything she could think of. The very fact that it could still be there was enough of a joy that she could think of nothing else.

Her feet touched tightly on the soft stone of the cavern floor. The chamber was spherical in shape, the ceiling flattened own ever so slightly. From the ceiling fell what was the equavalant of earthly stagtights, differing only because of their gleaming yellow surface. All around her were small spheres of varying sizes ranging to that of a marble to the size of a bowling ball. She looked at the larger of them wondering what trouble it must have caused when it was created. Each sphere gave off its own light in every imaginable color. The light from them grew and faded following a steady rhythm they held on their own. Starfire sank in the middle of them to her knees, her eyes brimming with tears that, for they were still here and unharmed.

"Starfire?" She heard her friend ask from behind her. "Are . . . Are you alright?" She looked behind her, unsurprised that it was Robin that followed her.

"They are here." Was all she answered. She didn't bother to stand and greet him. He came to her, kneeling behind her and holding her shoulders. Her smile broadened and she put her hand on his.

"What are they?"

"The children of Tameran." She answered, "The Azrathians did not find them. I am not the last."

"These are children?"

"Unborn, yes, the same as the fetus on your world. The egg are hidden here, no matter where the parents live, and when they hatch much joy is spread among our people. But this location has been hidden for hundreds of centuries. And still it was not found."

"So when do they all hatch?"

"I imagine this one first," She looked over to the largest one again. The light it gave off was soft yellow, almost golden, and it pulsed with its tiny heartbeat. The pulse was fast compared to the others. "I think it would only be trapped here for a few weeks more."

"Then what?"

"I suppose I will have to care for it. I am all that could be their mother. They will need that."

"All of them? Starfire, you're only one girl."

"It is my duty now. I may not be the best of Warriors, but I will still protect what is left of my people."

"I've heard you say Warrior before. Who is it?"

"With all of my kind dead it is me. Traditionally, the Warrior has always been the Grand Ruler, the Young Warrior his first child. For centuries It has been this way. And thus, my father was the Warrior and Blackfire the Young Warrior."

"But why would you need a warrior."

"All cultures need a leader. The role of Grand Ruler could be passed to another or dueled for like I did. But the role of Warrior is genetic and cannot be given away. It was meant to be this way in case the Grand Ruler could not be this and Warrior and could give the power of peaceful civilian life to another, and still be the leader of warfare. Then the two kings would lead together.

"As peaceful as our people wish to be Tameran is truly a cursed planet plagued with war. Even before Azrath came there was war. After Azrath came the gordanians believed we would be weak and attacked us as well. I was told that it was a battle with them that killed my parents before I knew them. Blackfire did not speak of the days before me, only said they were glorious times of joy, yet heartbreaking and sad. All I know is that it was a very long time before she flew."

She stopped for a moment thinking about her sentence. When she was young and Blackfire never flew she said it was because she had no reason for it. But now, after Starfire realized she could not fly, she began to think: Maybe Blackfire actually _couldn't _fly.

"So, with Blackfire gone you became the warrior?"

"Yes, and as such it became my duty to protect my planet. That there was no escaping. But I left anyway and now that my people has fallen it is my duty to rebuild it as both Grand Ruler and Warrior as my father before me was. Perhaps I can cast aside our warlike customs and allow some of your earthly kindness and love to thrive here."

"You'll do what you have to." Robin told her, "But you'll also do what is right." She looked up at him, her emerald eyes meeting with whatever lie behind his mask. She wished so desperately that she could see what color his eyes were.

In that moment Robin's communicater went off, the ringtone echoing off the walls. It was Cyborg on the other end. "Ya'll remember that girl,"

"How can we forget?" Starfire said. Her hands clenched into fists.

"Turns out she was looking for us."

"She hopes to destroy me."

" She wants to see Raven, actually."

"Did you let her?" Robin asked.

"Given the way things are I wasn't about to let her get near her until she knew we could trust her. I told her to wait until you two get back. She said she'd wait."

"We'll be there."


	9. Chapter 9: The Freeblade

* * *

Someonenew this was comes . . .

* * *

The Freeblade

_The Peacelands stretched before her, the sea of flowers on all directions. She smiled and laughed, spinning as she did like a child with her arms spread. After a moment she thought to roll in the flowers, to breath in the calming fragrance and spread it across her body. But the beauty of such a dream was far too easily shattered, at least for her. _

_Trigon was there, he was always there to ruin anything she dare enjoy. He opened his great mouth when he saw her and a jet of flame spewed from it, racing towards her. She tried to run, fear paralyzing her power as if often did in his presence, but wasn't fast enough. When the fire reached her she screamed as the land disappeared and she knew she would awaken as her dream body died._

_But it didn't._

_The Peacelands went away and she stayed hovering in space. Earth lay before her, still whole instead of in ruins like it often was in her nightmares. A comet streaked the sky, orbiting the planet before disappearing. Raven wondered if the humans below had looked into the sky in that moment and saw the neon-purple trail it left behind it._

"_Raven!" She heard someone call, someone she knew, "Raven, I'm here. I know you hear me. Awaken, Raven, GET UP!"_

She woke up startled. She wasn't cold, wasn't sweating, but her heart was beating fast and pounding in her ears. She ran from the medical room. Ignoring Beastboy's cautioned words telling her not to move she sprinted until she reached the living room. There, sitting cross-legged on the air as if meditating was the one who had contacted her in the dream.

"Mother!" She called and she opened her eyes and smiled. "Mother, what are you doing here?"

"I came to get you, Raven," She answered. Her voice was a combination of happiness and terror. "I need you back home."

"Has Trigon hurt you?" The memories of when her angered father had turned on her when things had not gone his way.

"He has tried, Raven, he has tried" She smiled when she said this. "So much has changed since you left Raven. The Azrathians are behaving differently. They follow a new leader now, a warrior if I ever saw one."

At those words Raven willingly let anger control her for only an instant. Her friends she could excuse if they said something like that, but not her mother. "The Untamed is a greater warrior than any will ever be."

"Oh, this girl would be a challenge for her."

"You lie!" At the outburst she felt a hand on her shoulder. Beastboy's. As simple as the gesture was it did calm her. Her mother snorted at the movement. Azrathians rarely ever touched and when they did it usually didn't mean anything good. "I'm sorry." She quickly apologized, another earthly response. "Tell me everything from the moment I left."

Arielle sighed and closed her eyes for a moment gathering her thoughts and memories. "After you flew away the second time Trigon was furious. But he did not strike me and for that I am grateful. But the people of Azrath suffered greatly and so very many of us died. Then, in the charred remains of the Peacelands a warrior rose. She calls herself Freeblade."

"Why?"

"Blade in hand she intends to free Azrath from Trigon. She wants the people to be free. The people say that as a pesant her parents were killed in the war with Tameran. Her husband took part but after she became with child he too was sent off to war and died. She raised the child alone, going to the Peacelands for shelter, until Trigon destroyed the land in fire. The blaze took her son. She stayed loyal to Trigon, always wanting him dead, always plotting the perfect moment to strike."

"Is that what the legends say, or what she said?" The Untamed's story was proof enough to her that stories could be manipulated any way the writer wanted.

"The people ofAzrath say it is so."

"Dose she?"

"No. I am unable to see her even. The people do not trust me."

"Keep going."

"After the Freeblade began to rally the people she began to speak. Her words inspire even the most broken of our kind to fight for freedom. And they do it for her, for their families, and for themselves. The first of their raids was on an armory. They took everything. The guards placed there either turned to fight for their cause or were killed on the spot. The second was the castle prison, freeing those who had been there for all reasons. They claim that they will have their own trials and those guilty would go back, but on much softer terms."

"And they were successful on both raids?" Raven asked thinking the task was impossible.

"With Freeblade leading them, they are a formidable opponent. And when Trigon was informed he ordered a small army to put them down, but half his forced joined her during the battle. The Freeblade simply cannot be stopped."

"Continue."

"The third of the raids came after a speech Freeblade gave. With all of her followers she became unafraid to speak in public and when she did more joined her each time. She spoke of the tyrannical demon that lead them, but also told him about an ally that he had."

"Do you know who the ally is?"

"No, no one dose. But we know he has one for certain. And when she told them this the people began to believe that he gained himself an ally because he, himself, is weak."

"Why would they think that?" Raven asked the question, but in her own mind she couldn't think of another reason why he would need one. She shook her head and told her to continue.

"They attacked the palace. They thought they could kill him."

"He destroyed them all didn't he?"

"That," Arielle paused, "is something even I do not understand yet. He didn't strike back, he fled like a child. When they reached them he carved a hole between dimensions and his flaming warriors came. Many died, but they left many more living. But in the battle he disappeared. In the end all that was left was me."

"Did they hurt you?"

"At first I thought they would. They were screaming for royal blood and here I was, the only one. I collapsed on my knees for them and wouldn't dare look up. Now I wish I did. Just before they killed me I heard a voice tell them to stop. 'Let her live for she is guilty of no crime.' She asked if I would join them and I said I would. It's not like I had a choice. But when I looked up she was gone. The man closest to me said I was lucky the Freeblade favored me. I wish I had seen her."

"You should have looked up when she addressed you."

"If you were as scared as I was then the thought would have never crossed your mind until after. In any case I stayed with them and Trigon returned to the castle. We haven't attacked there again, but there is no doubt we will very soon."

"Then why aren't you there?"

"I was sent to get you. The Freeblade has requested you and chose me to retrieve you. I imagine she knows you trust me." Her mother raised an arm and pulled back the cloth of her sleve. The action revealed scars from many different weapons, from knives to whips to iron shackles. A burn halfway between her wrist and elbow formed the shape of a T engulfed in flames: a symbol meaning she belonged to Trigon and no one else. Raven did the same, only her arm was relatively unharmed and free of the burn mark. Raven would not dare claim she had suffered as much as her mother had. "So you will return home."

"I suppose I have to, don't I?"

"The choice is yours to come or stay. I only tell what I am told. Freeblade did not, however, give you an option and if you stay she will probably send others who are less friendly to a daughter of Trigon."

"then I'll go."

"No way." Beastboy spoke for the first time. The both of them had forgotten that both Cyborg and Beastboy were there. Raven hadn't even noticed that Robin wasn't there at all until then. "If she's going somewhere then the rest of us need to be there too."

"I don't want you on Azrath." Raven told him, "I don't even want to go back, I can't . . . "Why was she hesitating? Trigon was the worst of it and they had seen him. "I just don't want you there."

"Haven't you learned by now that hiding from us only leads to bad things." Cyborg told her.

"I have other reasons." She knew exactly what the problem was, but she would never, _ever_, tell them. The last thing she wanted was to end up like Starfire. "You can't go."

"You don't even know _why_ she wants you." Beastboy said, "It could be bad."

"I imagine they won't. Freeblade let her live and she's guilty of more than me." Arielle dropped her head at the words, but knew they were true. Arielle had spilled Azrathian blood at Trigon's orders, Raven never had.

"Still, it's dangerous."

Cyborg pulled him back. He whispered but Raven could still hear him, "Just drop it BB, after she's gone we'll take the T-sub and follow her." Raven went ahead and let him believe she didn't hear him. They would never find Azrath anyway.

Raven nodded her good-bys and followed her mother to the skies. Only when she high in the air did she feel the soft touch of falling water on her head. Assuming it was rain she kept flying even if none of the clouds were dark. Even above the atmosphere she could see droplets of water forming a trail behind her mother. Raven picked up speed to fly beside her, instead of under.

"Mother," She said, but she looked away, "Mother are you crying?"

"I've done a horrible thing, Raven. Or, at least, I am most certain I did." From around them Azrathians appeared, one by one. Escorts to ensure she reached Freeblade.

"You're doing what you were told."

"To keep my life. But now that it's done I wish I had not." Raven looked back to the planed expecting it to be destroyed once Trigon's daughter was clear of it.

"Mother, what have you done?"

"I hoped that you would have asked me what Freeblade wanted. They did not tell me and I can only assume. But now that you have agreed they will not let you leave."

"Why is this bad? They let you leave."

"I have no demon blood. To them you are as much of a demon as Trigon is. They want you _dead_, Raven. I _know_ that's why I lived. They wanted me alive to find you so they could kill you themselves.

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Again, thanks for reading this far, it means a lot. Keep reading for more! Please comment or something so I know what I'm doing right or wrong.


	10. Chapter 10: Ambushed

After Raven left earth to go to the freeblade the others follow. But there is always someone waiting for them . . .

* * *

Ambushed

The two of them returned and the news of the eggs and of Raven's mother was shared between. The surprise of Starfire's kind laying eggs and the return of Raven's mother was less than it probably should have been if they were normal humans. But with the news exchanged everything was packed away in the T-ship and they were ready to fly.

Starfire had begun t compose herself after the eggs had been discovered. She was happier now, able to fly. She even smiled again. Though they wouldn't say it the group all wondered how long it would be before she laughed again. She was becoming her own normal self.

Beastboy was a flurry of unnatural activity. He fidgeted and constantly hurried the others the way Robin did when Starfire disappeared. Even in the T-ship Robin knew he was talking to Cyborg about things involving a rainbow of emotions from shouting to almost crying. But Robin and Starfire could not hear a word of what he had to say. He had been careful to keep the communicator between him and Cyborg.

"Beastboy," Robin interrupted one of his silent shouting fits and he instantly fell silent. "Tell me more about this girl. Arellea, was it?"

"Dude, I told you everything I knew. She's Raven's mom and she works for this Freeblade person. The Freeblade wants Raven. I don't know anything else."

"I do not fear the Freeblade," Starfire said and all, except Cyborg who was driving, looked back at her. "What? She is against the Trigon that destroyed my home. I am allowed to trust her."

"It's not that you weren't allowed, It's that you just stopped trusting Raven. She's your friend, Starfire, and you don't want to trust her. But this Freeblade you don't even know, you trust."

"Raven has yet to prove herself."

"What?"Beastboy nearly jumped from his seat, "Raven's totally proven stuff. She beat up her dad before."

"Yes, but after she destroyed the world. Perhaps she will dual with her father again and be victorious, but until that time I still know the part of treachery she played in the death of our people."

"You don't have any _proof_!"Beastboy told her. "I can't believe I'm even hearing this. After all Raven's done."

"Raven has done nothing for me."

"But she wants to. You just don't get her. She thinks this is her fault. She's trying to change it."

"It is her fault, and she cannot change what she caused."

"She didn't."

"I know well what she has done. Your words to defend her will not change that. Besides, I doubt very highly that you could claim to 'get' Raven."

With a grumble Beastboy looked away.

"Starfire, this thing between you two dose need to end." Robin told her. "We're a team, you know that. We need to be able to work together and if we can't rely on you then-"

"I will not be a hindrance to this team, only to Raven."

"She's a part of this too, always has been. You are willing to throw away all that the both of you have been through?"

"I have thrown away nothing, the doing was hers alone."

"You know that's not true."

"Then what am I to believe?"

"That when Raven left it wasn't because she betrayed you. She might have tried to end what he was doing like she said with the gems and everything."

"She said she surrendered the gems to Trigon as he asked."

"She was just trying to keep us from getting hurt like she always does." Robin told her. He wished Raven could trust that they could fight like before. Wished she didn't believe in Trigon's power so much more than the Titans'. He knew from experience that people didn't get the way they were for no reason. Trigon had to have done something, something unspeakably horrible, for her to think of him the way she did. But if it was that horrible it wasn't likely she was going to tell. Maybe if Beastboy kept trying to help and defend her like he was she would tell him.

"We can protect ourselves. We have done it before."

"Still, she can't help what she's afraid of."

"It is no excuse. For the sake of an entire planet she should at least be willing to fight. She even sacrificed your world. She let him destroy earth."

"She didn't want to and she did give us a way out of it. Look I know it's hard to accept what you've been through-"

"Accept? No. It is impossible. You do not fully understand what is required of me now, Robin. The children of Tameran I must raise as Grand Ruler, Warrior, Gnorf'ka, and mother. I cannot be everything."

"Then you won't be. We're all here and ready to help you."

"They should be taught they ways of our people, not yours. Our races are very different for a reason."

"We'll, yeah," Beastboy interrupted and Robin almost turned him down, but stopped realizing this wouldn't be another fight. "but what about all the kindness the earth people have. Wouldn't you want the little kiddies to have that."

"I would, but . . . it is complicated."

"It's only as hard as you make it."

"Uh, guys," Cyborg finally spoke. "we got ourselves a problem." When they looked up they were not surprised at what they saw. It looked to be only half a dozen azrathians lined up before them. They lifted their heads and the Titans could see their eyes, each a different color of the rainbow. The red eyed azrathian in the center smiled as he spoke.

"Why come you to our land stranger?" He said. 'Why bring with you a tameranian?"

"She's our friend." Robin told them, "We need to see Raven, the daughter of-"

"We know too well who the gem is. What business have you with her?"

"We just want to talk."

"Hmph, Freeblade told us a small group of warriors may be coming to claim her. To take her from us when the ceremony is so close at hand. The ally must be destroyed."

"We're not going to claim her. We just want to help. She's our friend."

"I care not what she is to you."

"Dude, we're not here to fight with you. Either let us in or Cy'll do some flashy boomy thing and we'll blast our way in."

"Sec , vus is soos diligo tonc." He said. At those words the Titans tenced thinking it a spell. But nothing happened save for a small smile that formed on the corners of the mouth of one with soft pink eyes. "No matter. I'll not let you pass."

"aistou!" They heard someone shout. A voice all knew. A streak of colored light flew from the planet's surface and raced towards them. Without the time to maneuver the light hit the T-ship, breaking it almost in half.

"What was that for?" Cyborg shouted after the damage was done.

"We did nothing." The red eyed boy said, but under his hood he smiled as though the attack was a game. "But gladly I will assist." He flew at the light as though it was substance, not light that could not be contained. The two collided and the both were surrounded with the black azrathian magic.

"Ivadu mehe fussur! Igu pustolu haod vulontas vubes. Es ist poilla whu's veta Igu vendecatom nun vus!" The attacker cried and the boy was coated with fire and tossed aside.

"KILL HER!" The boy said the moment he recovered, "SHE IS THE ALLY COME OUT OF HIDING!" And at his command the others struck. But the ally was fast and her magic was strong. With a single word all were thrown back and most of the ship blown to pieces. It was by some miracle that air was left in the chamber. The titans were useless in this battle, unable to fight back with the ship damaged and unable to leave. But then . . .

"Starfire! Can you get out and fight her?" He asked, but there was only silence in response. He looked up from his various amounts of flashing warning lights to see if she was already fighting but saw, in contrast, that both the ally and Starfire were gone. He called for her one final time before the light engulfed him and everyone else. The world was no brighter than in that second and in the next it was no darker.

* * *

Hope you all are enjoying it so far. I'm happy you all are still reading. Please comment or feel free to send me a message, good or bad. Thanks for reading.


	11. Chapter 11: The Warrior Chronicles

I know I thought this would take a long time but apparently I lied. This chapter works a little differently than I normaly would write, but it was the only way I could make it work.

Starfire is missing, Raven is taken prisioner, and the other titans are scattered across the Azrathian landscape . . .

* * *

The Warrior Chronicles

The darkness was still complete even after his eyes opened. The instant they found the smallest speck of light he lunged towards it. The light was small, only a tiny flame, but it was enough to give him some direction. But the moment he moved he found he could not leave, his wrists bound by chains to the wall.

"I should be laugjng at you," He heard someone say from behind the flame, "But with you being as you are it would just look bad. You look horrible as it is Robin."

"Who are you?" He asked not letting his eyes focus on a single point. The flame was giving him the light he needed to see the others bound to the walls of the cave like him. Beastboy looked the most damaged, his clothes torn in several places and thin trails of blood dried to his skin, some probably not even his own. Cyborg had been hurt as well, his body dented and his circuits shut down. He probably needed to be restarted manually if he were going to be a part of any battle anytime soon.

"I have many names Robin: Prizegiver, Heartbreaker, Powerstealer, Bloodtraitor, and many others. But for the time being you can call me what the people of this realm do: Ally.

Without the action registering in his mind he tried to strike again, the chains holding him back. The one who helped Trigon destroy Starfire's home was right in front of him, just out of his reach. He could capture her and bring her to starfire, let her have justice for what she did, if only he could break free.

"Aw, see, I knew you'd be happy to see me."

"Let me out and I'll show you how happy I am."

"And you still have that fight in you. I like that. Tell you what, when little starfire comes back I'll be sure to kill you where you can see it. I'd like to see how much she can fly after that!" She laughed and disappeared, the flame going with her leaving him in darkness.

He had to get out of here.

"Mother you have no proof of what this is," Raven told her as they reached the planet's surface. Raven pulled up her hood, not wanting the welcome they gave her last time. This part of Tameran had not been there before, probably a separate shard of the planet reattached to the mainland by the Freeblade's wishes. Over half the planet was reconstructed now, though it was all so barren and empty Raven could only wonder why it was needed.

"I need no proof. You are Trigon's daughter, they will kill you before long I promise."

"You have to be willing to give her a chance. The girl is standing up against Trigon. It's not like she'll win anyway. At least give her something to hope about before she dies."

"But what about me?"

"What about you?"

"I lost Nula because of your father, don't make me lose you too. Raven I-"

"Raven!" A young boy called her, "The Freeblade has orders for you."

"I was brought here to see her." She said, "I want that done first."

"It will not be done. A matter of hours ago a small group of humans and a Tameranian were attacked by the Ally. We lost three warriors in the battle with her."

"The result?"

"The Tameranian was thrown back to her own planet, by the ally's wish it seems, and the humans all captured."

"and will you free them?"

"We are in the process of locating where the humans have been hidden and we are drawing closer by the moment. But the Freeblade wishes you to seek out the Tameranian and return her here. Whatever the Ally wants for her it likely is nothing good for her or us."

"And when I return will I have an audience with the Freeblade?"

"Without dely."

"Then I'll go. Mother, I will return."

"Raven-" She left before she could hear the woman's words. If she was going to die soon she didn't want her last thoughts to be the grief she caused her mother."

She landed in what she knew was her home and fear left her only to return. Her friends were gone and could have been hurt by the ally that attacked them. Where was Robin?

She looked around her, pushing her body to a sitting position. She appeared to be in some kind of cave, one she had not explored before. But the opening was not far, perhaps twenty feet above her in the wall. The hole was small though, just enough that she would be able to squeeze through. She summoned her thoughts of the young eggs and rose off the floor only to be stopped by the sound of a rolling stone.

"Who is there?" She asked the darkness of the cavern. Energy surrounded her hands and she knew by the light it gave her that truly she was alone. But she was given a response in the form of an image that projected itself on the wall

In the image she saw a woman. Her hair was black as a raven's wing and her eyes like emeralds. She smiled as she looked down at whatever she held that was beyond the field of vision the screen allowed. A heavy hand was placed on her shoulder, a man, likely her husband. His hair was like flame and his eyes a piercing violet. His own smile was great, unmatched by any.

"A daughter," The woman said looking up at him for only a moment, "A beautiful daughter."

"I see that." He said, his voice almost a whisper as if he was in awe of the miracle that lay in his wife's arms.

"Then what will you call her?"

"I, I don't know. All this time I thought we'd have a son. But a daughter, Its never happened in my bloodline."

"Then she is exempt from the law?"

"No, she will still be the warrior. She must be."

"You would condemn your own daughter to a life of fighting and war before she can even fly?"

"It is what must be done. I have always been the warrior as my father's before me have been. Trinar, she will be strong."

"I won't support it Ander. She's your daughter!"

"I know, And I was my father's son. It is our place. I am growing old and soon, in battle, I will die. When that time comes we will need someone to step up and be the Warrior."

"Can't it wait until I bear you a son?"

"I am sorry, It must be the firstborn. You would have me shame her so early in her life?"

"No," Trinar sighed and looked back at the daughter in her arms. "She still needs a name."

Ander sighed and closed his eyes. When he opened them again he reached down and touched his daughter's face. "Galefore! Make the world know, the Young Warrior has been born and her name is Kommand'r."

For an instant the image went black and Starfire thought to leave, but as it changed again she found herself captivated by it and could not leave. A pair of children, one violet eyed, the other blue, fought almost savagely. The violet girl struck with her already developed powers, though she was still young, and the boy dodged easily with every movement, but each strike he placed seemed to have no effect on the girl.

"Kommand'r! Commar! Stop this at once!" Galefore's voice did not separate them, but his powerful arms did.

"He shames my name Galefore!" Kammand'r shouted, "He has to be punished."

"Rank alone does not determine strength. Just because you're the Young Warrior does not mean you're better than me!" The boy spit towards her.

"Kommand'r your father will hear of this. And Commar, go home. Your parents are leaving soon."

It changed again and the young Blackfire knelt before her father saying what she said to Galefore.

"The punishment is not for you to give, Kommand'r. The boy is leaving soon anyway, you'll be rid of him then."

"Why is he leaving?"

"His father was killed in battle and his mother is leaving to live with her sister and he will join her. It's likely you will never see the boy again." Kommand'r nodded and a smile stretched across her face.

The image changed again to a time much later. The sun had already set and the moon was high in the sky, though even its light was dim. Far ahead of them the dark magic of the enemy azrathians built a league ahead of them.

"You will do well." She heard Ander's voice as he put a hand on her shoulder. "Even if not, It is only your first battle. The people will understand if you fall behind."

"Our people are counting on me to be as great a Warrior and Grand Ruler as you in these dark times of war. I cannot bear to fail them." A smile touched her father's face before he took to the sky.

"THEY COME!"

The black magic hit them like a wave. Pain unlike anything she had ever felt coated the Young Warriors body. Even Starfire shuddered as pain struck as though the images projected before her were seeping into reality. But she shook her head and charged letting pure energy course through her body and through her hands. She would not fail this night.

Moments of warfare passed and Starfire watched in both fear and awe at her sister's perfection in battle. None who came her way rose to fight again, yet not a single life was taken. All around her Fighters of tameran fell all around her, many to one azrathian armed with not only magic, but a heavy looking sword.

For this girl the battle was more than a battle, it was an art form. Her gift to kill was not only seamless in its movements, but it was also graceful. She lashed out with her blade only to spin and take the life of another. While Kommander watched in disgust at the amount of lives taken she could do nothing to take away the admiration of her skill. But for the sake of her people Kommander had to put an end to this graceful assassin and she attacked. The azrathian noticed the action and turned towards her, the sword moving with her and enhanced by the black magic she had seen so many times.

"KOMMAND'R!" She heard her father shout. It was only then that she began to take into account what she had done. She was throwing herself into this girl's blade and in doing so throwing away her life. And there was no time to try to change her action. Silently she apologized to her father and planet for failing them as she prepared to meet her end.

But it did not come.

The next instant she found herself looking into the clear blue eyes of an older boy as her father took his place fighting the azrathian. "Be careful, Young Warrior," he said. I would hate for something to happen to you so soon." And then he flew off to join the battle.

The scene changed again and Blackfire was before her father with the boy who saved her by her side.

"I thought I knew what I was doing." She said,

"You thought you could handle a warrior so skilled?" He asked, "I have fought with that girl several times and never have I beaten her. The azrathians call her the Untamed and she is a monster of warfare. I thank you, Commar, for saving my daughter from the Untamed's sword that has taken the lives of too many of our kind." Commar, that was his name. Where had she heard it before?

"It was my honor. If it meant sparing her I would allow myself to take her fate as my own."

"Kommand'r I need you to be more careful. You do have yourself, your people and your family to look after."

"Has mother grown ill?" Her father certainly could care for herself.

"No, in the hatchery a new egg has been added, a brother for you."

"But you said-"

"I know what I said. A miracle has happened and you will help care for him."

"I will."

The image changed again and Kommand'r stood on the peak of the mountain of her home and watched the world. It seemed so peaceful now. More so than it ever had before.

"The war has ended and the world is at peace." She heard someone say and she turned to see Commar coming to stand behind her.

"I can only wonder what happened. The fighters send to Azrath say an entire region of the planet was engulfed in fire by Trigon's will."

"What happened is not of our concern. Can you not be at peace as the rest of us are?"

"Father says the Gordanians will attack. They believe us weak after such a long war with Azrath."

"Even if that is true, they have not attacked yet. Be at peace." He paused for a moment then took a step forward towards her, "You are very beautiful Kommand'r."

Darkness covered the cavern where Starfire sat watching as the image disappeared. She knew only that she was smiling, knew she was happy, but did not know truly why. In the next instant the images reappeared on the wall. A young child with hair like fire and her father's eyes. A second daughter they named Koryand'r. Trinar didn't want Koryand'r to lead a life like Kommand'r did. She wanted to keep her safe from war and violence. Kommand'r didn't mind, but she wanted to have a brother to fight with anyway.

"Did you see my sister?" Kommand'r asked much later when Commar came to her again.

"In truth I hardly saw the girl. To busy was I watching her sister. Any child can laugh and an angle will sit to listen. But all you need is to breath and the havens stop to observe."

"Stop it."

"What?"

"All this poetic babble of yours."

"Do you not enjoy the praise I give?"

"Enjoy it, yes, but so much?"

"I give as much as deserved."

"You hardly praise my father. He's ten times the warrior I'll ever be. He ended the war, not me."

"You doubt yourself to much, Young Warrior. You will do well in the years to come. Besides, it was Trigon who ended the war with his madness, not your father."

"But still . . . "

"hear me now, my praise for you is as true as anyone could think. If you want no more of it than how am I to tell you of your glory and strength and beauty."

"You don't need to tell me." He stepped closer and took her hand. She almost withdrew, an action out of instinct alone, but she did not.

"Oh, but I do. I absolutely need to tell you. I live to tell you."

"Believe what you want, but I do not need this."

"Again, then, tell me what you would have me do."

"Nothing."

"But I cannot do nothing." Kommand'r rolled her eyes then looked back to him.

"then what do you want to do?"

"You ask of me?"

"Whatever."

"Then be still." She looked to him, almost questioning the command with her gaze, but there was no time to question, nor would he allow anything to slow him. The hand that held hers had left to wrap around her on the small of her back. The other hand rested on her neck, his thumb stroking her cheek as he turned her face towards his. Then, before he would dare allow her to question him he leaned her back, only slightly as though they had just finished a dance, and his lips met hers.

At first she thought to fight, but the emotion quickly faded as her eyes closed and she accepted him. Something she had never known was inside her awoke and burned through her blood. Her heart beat loudly in her chest and she would do nothing to stop him. On the contrary, she would join him. Emotions of pure joy encircled the both of them and they almost felt the ground leave them as it gave them flight. So strong were the emotions that Starfire began to feel small tears growing in her eyes. She had never known Blackfire to be this way. This was what she wanted.

"Stay here." She heard her father command. By then Starfire had become used to the way the scenes changed.

"But I want to fight."

"no, I've given you an order."

"But father-"

"Commar, protect her and her sister."

"Yes Grand Ruler." He said with a bow.

"Wait, father. Is it the Gordanians?"

"Yes, they come for your sister, specifically. They want her as their prize."

"But she's so young."

"I know. But war with them will continue until she is handed over."

"Then should we to spare the lives or our people?"

"We are a strong race. We will survive. Now, promise me you will protect her."

"I promise."

Again it changed and she lay in Commar's arms. He rested his head on hers and listened as she cried. Father did not return from the battle and mother, who was as determined to protect her children, had fallen, wounded by the enemy. She lay in the hands of god and only he could decide whether she lived. Commar told her everything would be alright, but she did not believe so. Ander was dead. She would become Grand Ruler.

"Why don't I want this?" She whispered not expecting an answer. "I've waited my whole life for this and now . . . I can't do it. Someone else can be the ruler."

"But no one else can be the Warrior."

"I can't do it. I'm not as good as he was. I'll only shame the name of Warrior itself."

"You can do it Kommand'r. I've watched you do it your whole life, ready for this. This is what you are meant to be."

"I'm meant to be something else." He sighed and said nothing for a time.

"There is only one way you wouldn't be warrior."

"No, I am my father's first born. There is no other way."

"Yes, but I am older than you. If I became your father's son then I would become Warrior."

"You would do that?"

"If it meant sparing you I would allow myself to take your fate as my own." She felt him kiss the top of her head. "I made this for you, a long time ago."

He showed her a gem of blue and violet intertwined. So perfect was the stone that she could not stop herself from reaching out to touch it as if to see if it was real. It hung on a thin chain of silver, perfectly sized for her neck.

"You've been preparing for this?"

"Ever since we first kissed. Kommand'r, I love you. Tell me you love me too and make me your husband forever."

She let him wrap the chain around her neck and looked once more at its beauty. She could not force herself to believe that this had happened even if the proof was there. "I love you, Commar." She said and they kissed once more and neither were willing to separate until the image changed.

"My mother has died only two nights ago." Kommand'r said looking out the window. "Is it right that we marry tomorrow?"

"If you want it done then it will be. Say the word to wait and everything will be postponed."

"I don't want to wait. I want you now. But to have our perfect day stained with sorrow and grief is not something I want."

"The choice is yours. And I will follow whatever you decide." She felt a sigh escape her as he wrapped his strong arms around her from behind and kissed her neck. Her head tilted involuntarily to give him more room to play. Just before she decided to face him the ground shook and they were torn apart. The Gordanians had returned for her sister.

The battle that they endured was long and the moment after the first blast was fired Kommand'r went to where Koryand'r slept so peacefully. She was so young and innocent, barely able to fly. Why would their enemy want to fight a war over her?

Koryand'r woke as her sister lifted her. The explosions did not wake her, but her sister did. Kommand'r feared she would never understand her sister. She kissed the newborn's head to tell her everything was going to be alright.

What happened afterward was war. Too many died over one child and Kommand'r considered handing her over to end it. But she had her promise to her father to keep. She would be her sister's guardian. When it ended she searched for Commar. She had taken a few more injuries than normal due to the crying newborn in her arms. Her leg, in particular, would barely hold her weight.

She found him at last and could not hold back her cries. He lay on the ground, a spear through his stomach. Two healers attempted to help him, but already his face was pale and his mouth was stained with blood.

"Commar, you can't go now." She told him.

"Is she safe? Your sister?"

"Nevermind her, you have to live. We marry tomorrow."

"I know and I am deeply sorry. It was the only way I could save you. You didn't see him behind you and I couldn't stop him. This was the only way for you to live."

"I would have taken the blow anyway."

"You have more to live for than I. Take care of your sister."

"To hell with her, I want you."

"It would hurt your father to hear you say that."

"I don't care. You have to stay with me."

"I am sorry, Kommand'r. Goodby, my darling."

Darkness coated the cavern and Starfire knew only then that she had cried. She stood and looked around her, but saw what she should have too late. The heroin of the story she witnessed charged at her, driving her into the wall that had just shown her life's story.

"Now you understand why you have to die little sister." She said.

"But nothing there was my doing."

"It was. If everyone hadn't been trying to protect you our parents would still be alive. Commar would still be alive." At the very mention of his name Starfire saw tears forming at the corners of her violet eyes. "It is all your fault. We should have just given you to the gordanians before they died."

"But I did go to them. I was going to be their prize."

"That was my doing. Why they wanted you I still do not know, but it was I who planned the ambush that led to your capture. But your titan friends had to free you."

"That was you?"

"Of course it was. You will suffer little sister. You will lose everything precious to you and then I will kill you myself."

"Then that is why you stole the sentarian moon diamond."

"Naturally, but your friends ruined that too. But I almost had them fooled. They almost replaced you with me."

"Robin wouldn't allow it."

"It was because of him that my plan didn't work. I had to get rid of him and I could have done it too."

"My arranged wedding?"

"Why do you sound so surprised? You can't say that my only purpose for marrying the swamp fiend was to have the power he promised me. That was only in case Robin ruined it. Then I could kill you anyway."

"But you did not win, again."

"Oh, but I did. It was because you banished me that I made a very good friend. A demon who lost his power in a dual against his daughter. I helped restore him."

"You, sister, are the Ally?"

"I am."

"Then you betrayed our people."

"Only took away the home you loved so much. I saw you give the funeral of kings to Galefore. He didn't deserve such treatment. Besides, I saw you couldn't fly afterward. And even better, you attacked your own friends. I couldn't ask for anything better."

"I never thought you could be so heartless."

"I had a heart. You've seen it there in my past. But now it's gone. You ripped it out with you killed my family."

"You know that was not my doing."

"I know it was. I was gracious in allowing you to know why you needed to die. A gift for you to think of in the afterlife. It only makes me happy that you came to me. I could easily get to you and your friends that way. Even now I debate their fate."

"What have you done with my friends?"

"That is for me to know. Perhaps I'll let you see them. I'd enjoy the look on your face as you watch your lover die in front of you like I did. But then, he might ruin it again like my other plans so I could save his death until later."

"You will_ not_ harm Robin."

"Would that bother you? I suppose it would now wouldn't it. He thinks I'm bringing you to him. I suppose he'd want to see you one last time. But then, you'd want that too. My goal isn't really to make him suffer."

"I am sorry, sister, but truly madness has engulfed your heart."

"Endless grief dose that to a person. Now, DIE!"

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There, That was long, but I couldn't do it any other way. But at least you got some answers. Hope you enjoyed. Please review, they still mean everything to me.


	12. Chapter 12: Shadows of the past

I know I said I would put this up sooner, but some stuff happened and I'm in a place where I can't do that. So, from now on things are gonna be a little further apart but I will still be getting stuff up. Also, an idea for my next fic jumped in my head and I'll need this one done before I start it. Check out my profile and read about it.

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Shadows, and Flames, of Past

Starfire fled. There was no point in attempting to fight her sister like this. She could attempt to speak, but that would only spark more of the true Warrior's wrath. There was a reason Blackfire was always the better fighter and now she understood. Mother, Father, and lover had died in battles to protect the prize of the Gordanians. The blame was hers to bear though nothing she could have done could have prevented it.

When she was free of the cavern that had shown her the memories of her sister she held back nothing and gave her every emotion to speed. She not only could not fight, she did not want to. No matter what Blackfire did she was still her sister.

Blackfire would not let the girl escape. She had worked far too hard, killed far too many, broke herself too many times to let her escape now."AISTOU!" she cried and the spell engulfed her in her neon violet night as she charged her sister than more force than a raging bull. There was not a being in the universe who could face her now. She heard her sister scream as she came close and relished the thought that soon the soil would soon be stained with her blood.

But like everything else that happened, when things seemed at their best something always stopped her. Her assault was ended by a solid wall of darkness.

"Raven!" Starfire called relieved to see her friend. She could not tell herself to be upset at her for all the previous problems she had with her. She now knew she was wrong and Raven had every right to be angry with her if she so chose. Yet she came to her rescue when she had no hope of victory.

"Get away from her." Raven said, her voice a growl. When Blackfire did not obey but responded by forming fire at her fists Raven enclosed her with her magic. "So you are the one Trigon trusts. You are the ally. I thought him better."

"He chose the only one who could have helped him. Of course, the rewards are good enough." Blackfire threw her fire against the black sphere that separated her from the world. Raven felt her concentration waver for only a moment, but not enough to release her. "Now let me go!"

"Starfire, get out of here." Raven told her not taking her eyes off the ally. "Go to azrath. The Freeblade is waiting for you there. The others are probably with her by now."

"Kommand'r has captured them. They are her prisoners now."

"Then we'll just have to rescue them too."

"Doubtable," Blackfire laughed, "your father guards them well. You don't stand a chance. He's stronger than he's ever been before. Luck was on your side before, little half demon, but now he'll kill you for sure. He'll kill you just like he did the Untamed. You're as weak as she was."

"Do _not_ insult her." Raven growled with venom in her voice. Even Starfire knew to back away when she heard her speak.

"Why? You can't accept what she is still?"

"Of all the things she was, she wasn't weak."

Blackfire laughed at her, "The girl's greatest accomplishment was a region of flowers. She may have been a decient fighter, but that ended when she decided to marry that pathetic prince."

Raven could hold back no more. With a roar she sphere containing Blackfire shrunk to an incredibly small size crushing the tameranian warrior. Then the sphere was thrown far away and was out of sight within moments.

Raven dropped to her knees, though not from exhaustion. She had let her anger control her in a way she had never let it before. She not only desired to punish for a comment that, for any other person, would have hardly effected her, she desired to kill as well. If she had not thrown Blackfire away when she did she surly would have killed her in an instant.

"Raven, are you alright?" Starfire asked and put a hand on her shoulder.

"I think I'll be ok. I'm sorry Starfire, I didn't mean to get carried away like that. I should have better control of myself. You probably don't even understand what happened."

"I have learned throughout the years that when your eyes become red then it is because of anger."

"they changed?" Starfire nodded. "I'm sorry."

"I am certain you had reason for your furry."

"You're not going to sit and yell at me for something I didn't do?"

"For that I must apologize. It was Blackfire, as you saw, who betrayed our kind in a crazed search for revenge. There was probably no way anything could have stopped what happened, yet she lays her blame on me."

"How do you know all this? You never said anything before." Raven listened as Starfire told the woeful tale of Blackfire's past. When she told of how the story ended with Kommar's death before their marriage Raven let her gaze drop to the floor.

"It seems to be the fatal mistake of all races, not just my own." She muttered.

"Whatever do you mean? Blackfire never made any mistake."

"She fell in love. I used to think it was only a death sentence for Azrath, but I was wrong."

"But Raven, I do not understand. Love is the driving force of my people. We are not kind to eachother like the earthlings are, but we still do it out of love knowing that endless kindles will leave a child weak in times of darkness."

"True, but if she hadn't fell in love she wouldn't have been consumed by grief. If Arielle hadn't loved she wouldn't have to be trapped in Trigon's claws. If the Untamed didn't love she would still be alive."

"this Untamed you speak of, I saw her in Blackfire's past in a battle. She was a very deadly adversary. Truly I have seen few warriors in all history that I believe could compare."

"She is a legend among my kind." She closed her eyes and thought. Starfire didn't need to know about the Untamed, though, it seemed, their storied were linked through this book. With a regretful sigh and a prayer for the best she summoned the book from her room. She shouldn't have given it up, never before had someone out of her race read it, partially because it was written in her language. "Can you read Azrathian?"

"Not very well, but yes I was thought as was all children of my generation in case war struck again."

"A simple yes would be enough. Here," She handed the book to her unable to look at it as the tameranian took it. It was all she had left of the Untamed. "It'll give you something to do on the way back."

Starfire opened the book and was instantly lost in the legend of the Untamed. Every word clung to her mind and every moment she went further forced her to believe that truly she loved her people enough to kill and even die for them if need be. Only once did she speak while she read to say, "I would have wished to see these Peacelands she created." Raven only nodded and kept them flying towards the planet. When she heard Starfire close the book she spoke again.

"What did you think?"

"It is a sad story, yes. I only wish to believe that they could have survived on whatever planet they were exiled too. The both of them would have been of great service to their new home."

"That's just it, they never left Azrath."

"But the story says-"

"The ending of the story is a lie. I was there for it. There was no exile, no illness from another planet, and no hand waving that ended the peacelands. That was all a lie Trigon put into the history books to make himself appear less savage, even if it was in vain."

"Then what _did_ become of her?"

"Trigon had found out about the Peacelands first through me. I had made the mistake of singing one of the many songs made in its honor. My mother had known about them so I wasn't worried about her hearing them. But when Trigon did he lashed out." She closed her eyes as she remembered the blood red fingers clasped around her throat. "He thought I had helped her build this Peacelands and he took me with him to destroy it. When he brought me I thought I could scream loud enough that the Untamed and the others could know to run. Many of the civilians did, but the Untamed still thought she should fight. Krein was the one to try to convince her to flee for she was incapable of fighting."

"Had she been paralyzed from battle?"

"No, she was with child." Starfire couldn't help but smile at the words. "But Trigon didn't care. The Untamed fled into the palace, but he chaced after her. She would pay for her rebellion. I thought about fighting him, even tried but was easily beaten. The Untamed came out of hiding to try to tell him not to hurt me and he struck then. With one hand against her throat he drove his claws through her stomach and dropped her. He dragged me out of the palace then as he had it and the rest of the peacelands burned."

"And the Prince?"

"He died alongside her. Many believe it was the fire that killed him, but I know that when he saw his lover and unborn child dead beside him he took his own life."

"I am sorry you had to see such a thing."

"It was good that it happened. His anger lead to him mindlessly attacking. Anything that did not do exactly as he commanded was destroyed. Within the week the war had ended and Azrath was all but destroyed. Trigon brought me to the peak of a mountain to see what he had done. He said, 'See, my gem, what happens to those who disobey the great Trigon like the Untamed did.' It was in that moment I resolved to leave. All of Azrath thought I abandoned them and hate me to this day for not living like the Untamed did."

"they could not expect you live like her. She was only your friend."

"No she wasn't. She was my friend, mentor, trainer, teacher, leader, protector, provider, my strength, my will, the source of my power, the reason for my being, and, above all, Nula was my sister and I loved her."

"Raven," She heard Starfire gasp and felt her arms around her in a comforting hug. Normaly she would have been thrown off her body, but this time she didn't mind it as much. "I am very sorry. I didn't realize she was your family."

"You couldn't have known. It's not like you could've done anything to save her. You were young."

"Still, I feel sorrow for what you have suffered through. Forgive me for being so cruel to you before."

"It's already been done. We're getting close you should be getting ready what you're going to say when you meet the Freeblade. What you say means almost as much as what you do here."

"I will be careful."

"I hope so."

"Any ideas yet?" He asked.

"Dude, since when have I been one for ideas. I've already told you everything I could think of." Beastboy told him. The darkness gave way to patterns of grey as the boy wonder's eyes adjusted. Beside him Beastboy was not chained, but contained in what appeared to be a small cage made of smooth glass, only it was much stronger. The strongest of his transformations could not break the walls, the largest of them suffocated him. Cyborg still slept against one of the walls. No one would turn him on.

The only option any of them had come up with was for Robin to just pull until his wrists slipped through his chains. But Blackfire had accounted for that and not only tightened them to the point of it being dangerous and taking his gloves with her she also sharpened the edges of the cuffs to be like the blades of knives. There was no way he could have escape without tearing the flesh from his bones, and he already tried that before. He pulled yet another time until the sharpened edge began to cut his hands again and he withdrew.

"There has to be something. Starfire's out there."

"Raven's out there too."

"I know. So think."

"That's your job. You're all brains and gadgets, I'm muscle and funny. I got nothin' ."

"I can't be the one to come up with everything."

"dude! I'm in a _box_. How am I supposed to _do _anything even if I did think of anything."

"I don't know." Robin sighed, "Fighting is getting us nowhere. The only thing we could even do is try to signal someone else to find us."

"And we're going to do that how?"

"You need not to." Someone said. In their argument they didn't notice the newcomer. Even when they looked towards her they almost couldn't see her. She was small, not short but thin. She did not wear the cape Raven and the other azrathians wore, just the skintight black. "Speak not a word." They saw the outline of the girl crouch and bound into a hiding place like a cat. Outside of their cavern prision they heard Blackfire's angry shouts and the start of a fire. When the shouting outside faded to nothing the girl came back

"Who are you?" Robin whispered and she did not answer him.

"emerald elf of many monsters," she said.

"who me?"

"No, I speak of another who lays claim to such title here."

"Sorry, You talk funny is all."

"And you speak a tongue of modest inelegance. Yet still, I call upon you Emerald E-"

"You can just call me Beastboy."

She sighed with annoyance, "Very well then, I call upon you Beastboy."

"And who are you?"

"Why ask you of so many questions? If you must know I was named by my fallen father Felinefeather."

"Cool name."

"Will you accept the summons placed before you or not?"

"What's it for?"

"I require your assistance. The Princess lost of many moons summons the Beastboy. Perhaps an end to our vast years suffering she sees in you, but I see it not."

"Princess? You mean Raven?"

"If so you wish her to be."

"Take me to her."

"Wait, Beastboy, what about me and Cyborg."

"Right. Will you free my friend and turn on my other friend."

"My duty is not placed around the boy or the man of iron."

"then I won't go."

"Then I will return, mission failed, and pray for the mercy of my squadron leader. Another may be sent for you, but since you have refused your first invitation the action is unlikely."

"Beastboy go." Robin ordered. "It may be your only chance."

Beastboy nodded, "I'll do it." And with a single silent spell his glass cage disappeared and he stretched as a cat.

"Now come with haste for the moment is not yours to spare." She started to leave. Every step she took was more like a wide bound like that of a deer or gazelle and just as graceful. When she landed on a stone near the entrance Robin could see her profile and her namesake clearly. Entwined in the copper strands of her hair illuminated by the pale moonlight was a single tawny eagle feather. Waving back and forth behind her and attached at the base of her spine was the long black tail of a panther.

Robin called for Beastboy one final time before he would have disappeared with Felinefeather and he looked back. "Don't worry, Robin," he said. "I'll come back for you and I'll keep them safe. Both of them."

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Again, I know it's late and I'm sorry. Thanks for reading this far and don't forget to review!


	13. Chapter 13

Sorry about the wait. It'll be a while until the next one two. Thanks for reading this far. Don't forget to review.

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True Reunion

Beastboy was brought through what must have been a city, though it lacked the skyscrapers he had grown used to. There were many azrathians there, many not giving him looks of favor. In the center of this city was a single building, the likely equivalent of a city hall. Inside was far to plain. He had half expected the owner to try to impress all who entered with gems and gold and other assortments of shiny things. But he saw nothing of the sort, the walls bearing nothing more than a thin coat of paint. He was brought into a room with two doors, one he entered, the other halfway across the room. In the room's center was a large rectangular desk made of unpolished wood. The woman behind it stood when she saw the both of them.

"Felinefeather, you have returned." The girl she brought Beastboy to. Like Felinefeather she did not wear the cloak that covered most of her body. Her body was tall, but not more than he was used to seeing. The skintight clothing he saw most Azrathians wear stopped just beyond her thighs and shoulders. Aside from this she wore no other clothing save for a belt that was wrapped tight around her waist. Hanging from the belt decorated with countless symbols of mythical beasts that blended into eachother as though it were a single image was a sword, a weapon he had seen quite a few times since he had come here. And he was the fool to believe no one fought with them anymore. The sword had caught so much of his attention that Beastboy hesitated to look at her face and when he did he wondered if it was best if he hadn't. her hair was red, a deeper color than Starfire's almost scarlet like blood. Her eyes matched, not in color for they were a softer violet, almost blue, but in intensity and seemed to bore into the youth's head. The slim smile that stretched across her face as she analyzed the boy.

"So, this is the Emerald Elf of Many Monsters." She said,

"Actually, it's just Beastboy." At the words Felinefeather hit him in the back.

"Respect, boy." She hissed.

"Is quite alright, Felinefeather, judge him not for the ways of our world and culture is not our own." Felinefeather bowed slightly and backed away. "And, Beastboy, do you know why I have brought you here."

"Actually, I thought I was going to see Raven."

"It is because of she that I brought you." With a nod the other door was opened and Raven entered. Beastboy almost said something but barely managed a smile when she looked towards him. Before he could even hope to speak she had already dropped to her knees with her head lowered. She hadn't even looked at the girl who summoned her.

"You sent for me, Freeblade?"

"Yes, you and the tameranian. Where is she?"

"Still outside. Shall I retrieve her?"

"No, no. You will do just fine."

_This wasn't normal_, Beastboy thought watching her. Raven wasn't supposed to be afraid of anything, but he could _swear_ she was shaking. Maybe not enough for anyone else to see, but his hawk eyes could.

"Do you know why I summoned you." The Freeblade sat and entangled her fingers together on her desk. Beastboy felt a growl form as he saw a small smile cross over her face. She was enjoying this.

"My mother had her suspicions when she brought me."

"I assumed so. Arielle dose never change. Trigon has beaten a fear into her that will never be shaken. What is it she has told you?"

Raven hesitated to answer as the Freeblade rose again to stand in front of her. "She said that you would want me to kill me."

"No!" Beastboy knew he heard those words and would not stand by. That sword she carried, it could kill Raven in an instant. Why else carry a sword to an office room if you had no intent to use it.

"Restrain him." The Freeblade ordered as the sword was unsheathed and he felt hands on his shoulders and arms. A magic coursed through his blood and breaking his concentration. No matter how he tried to transform into some monstrous beast and free Raven he could now.

"Raven run!" He told her, but she didn't heed him. Her head only sank lower, her eyes closing in defeat.

"There's no point, Beastboy, she'll hunt me down one way or another." She sighed, "so mother was right."

"In that," The freeblade paused as she raised the sword above her head as if finding the perfect place to strike. "she was entirely wrong." The Freeblade smiled as she knelt in front of Raven, the sword now held on her palms as if presenting it. "Open your eyes, Raven."

Raven did, almost relunctant as if she didn't want to see her end. But when she did she reached out and touched the pattern in the blade. "The Catrahl," she whispered the name of the blade as her fingertips traced the pattern of an alien beast. "But how did you-" her sentence stopped as her head snapped up to see the Freeblade for the first time. She gasped but nothing more could escape her.

"Give me one reason why I would want to kill you?"

"How are you . . . When did . . . _How _did . . . " She struggled to find the right words as Beastboy saw tears form. In the end she could hold herself back no more and she threw herself at the Freeblade like a crying child to her mother after a horrible dream. The Freeblade welcomed the action and held her back.

"It's alright now. I am here." She said.

"I've missed you so much, Nula. I saw you die."

"Or so you thought." She tapped a necklace that circled her neck. The chain was a series of pearls bound together beautifully. No two pearls were the exact shade varying from white, to black, to blue-green, but it was put together perfectly. "The hero's heart: the second treasure of Azrath."

"But I read the books and they said the Hero's heart was a stone in the shape of an eagle."

"some say that, others say tiger, the stone is everchanging. But the pearls are a different matter."

"But I don't understand. The tiger and the eagle could be part of it."

"But they're not. See, one hero might have the strength of a tiger, and another the cunning of a fox, or the agility of the eagle, but that is not what lies in his heart. Behind every _great_ hero, mind you _great_ not _any_ hero, is a woman he loves and cares for. Tell me if you can deny it. Even in the earth world you live in it is true. Think of a way to deny it." Only a moment passed before Raven nodded.

"Wait a minute. Hold on." Beastboy could only manage to speak then. "What just happened?"

"right," Raven sighed and stood. The smile on her face was unlike anything he had ever seen before on her. It was a smile that consumed her entire appearance and let any who saw it believe that she had never experienced any pain in her life. "Beastboy, this is my sister, Nula." Nula bowed at the sound of her name.

"You never told us you had a sister."

"I . . . I didn't like talking about it."

"With what you've been through I couldn't blame you."

"So how long have you had a sister."

"All my life. Nula's older than me."

"And when were you going to tell the rest of us?"

"Never." At the word Beastboy's heart sank. She didn't trust him with the knowledge that she had siblings. What else did she not tell the titans? He knew and understood that she believed everything she didn't tell them was to protect them, but truthfully, things would have been much eaiser if she just told them. There wasn't anything he could do about it now.

"So, what do we tell the others?"

"Where are they?"

"Prisioners to Blackfire. Robin's chained up and Cyborg's shut down."

"Then we'll have to save them."

"Not now," Nula told them, "Durring the assult."

"An attack on Trigon I suppose."

"directly. With the hero's heart we can win. It's how we've won so far and we'll stay that way."

"You can't beat Trigon, it's just how things are."

"You only say that because he's beaten you so many times. You only say that because you saw me die. But I am here and we can beat him together. You always had such great power."

"You had power, not me."

"If I remember, it was you who first truly defeated Trigon."

"But I didn't beat him, I only weakened him."

"But you won."

"He came back." Raven sighed, "Fine, but if there must be an attack then let me lead it and you stay behind. If he kills you again I don't know what I'd do."

"Trigon is not of my fears, but the ally. Blackfire, was it? The Warrior of Tameran. I've fought her before and she is strong. Well trained by her father. Did Starfire have such training?"

"I don't think so."

"A shame."

"She's with me if you want to see her."

"Actualy, I want to see this boy. Felinefeather, escort my sister to her own chambers." The girl bowed and left with Raven.

"What was _that_?" Beastboy said, "first you drag me here and make me think you'll kill Raven. Then you tell me she's your sister and then that we're gonna try to kill trigon then get rid of her."

"I know. I wanted you to see her reactions."

"Why?"

"Raven is a mystery, as you may have well noticed. Her past is a collection of tragedy and disaster. Many of these things changed the way she is, made her what she is, and prevents her from becoming who she is. I wanted you to see the way she was."

"I don't get it."

"When she came what did she do?"

"She bowed."

"She did not look at me, did not fight, regardeless of the fact that she knew she was going to die."

"She was like that when Trigon came to earth."

"I know. She can stand against any battle, unless it is our kind. When she faces me or father, she instantly gives up. Trigon has broken her, but I am among the few who believe it is not beyond repair. She resisted for many years, but when father forced her to witness my death she broke and fled. She has never fought against him sicnce."

"So there's no hope for her."

"That is whereyou are wrong. She beat him before, that means somewhere in her time with you she had the courage and strength to fight again, just like before. Something you titans did gave her, her old life back. Though none of you could ever dare admit it I believe it was your doing that lead to it."

"Robin was the one to find her after Trigon came. Me and the others only distracted Trigon, at least as best we could."

"You still helped, you still fought for her, risked your life for her. And, you gave her this the day she was destine to die." She held a single copper coin, a penny.

"It's just a thing. It's supposed to give good luck."

"And she has kept it with her since the day it was given. She dropped it once, but was careful to retrieve it."`

"But it's just a penny."

"Do not underestimate the power of good fortune or good will. She wanted the penny close, that is all that can be said of it. If it was because she wanted the memory, the luck or something more or deeper I still do not know."

"So whatever this penny dose has something to do with her ability to fight."

"I think so."

"So what do you want me for."

"Find the purpose of this penny and use it to make her strong."

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YAY!!! again, thanks, review, and look at my profile and tell me what you think of my second idea!!!


	14. Chapter 14: Demon Blood

(A/N) I know it's been a LONG time since I've uploaded this, but I never forgot about it don't worry. Since I'm in titans mode you'll be seeing a little more of this, even if it might be slow. But as always, I never forget about my stories and somehow or another I'll come back to it. I didn't realize before that the different sections wern't being seperated. I had a little thing I was using on Word, but apparently it doesn't work here. So I fixed that for this chapter.

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Demon blood

"Many years have passed since your beloved Peacelands have fallen." The Freeblade stood on the crest of a small hill with the whole of the village stretched before her. Raven stood among them as a follower rather than sister. The people still did not trust her, still called her traitor, but the Freeblade had allowed her to live and so they would allow it as well. Beastboy was nearby, as he always was, but for some reason he was avoiding her. But strange as it was she could not worry about him.

When the Freeblade spoke the world changed. She was as they said she was, inspiring, exciting, moving, and heartbreaking. Raven knew more than the others, she knew the source of the passion in her voice. Raven could only watch in awe and listen, wishing she had her gift.

"With the destruction of your Peaceland homes went the Untamed, the only one who could stand against the cursed Trigon. With their passing went the war and your hope. It was not Tameran who won, but us who were defeated by ourselves. We were immersed in nothing more than darkness, fear, and pain.

"But those days are ending, Azrath, I swear to you. Trigon has been beaten before and it can happen again. On the planet earth he was brought down by his own daughter who stands before you now bearing the title of traitor. Alone she faced him and alone she brought him down. Yes, he did return, but only by the power of the Warrior of Tameran. But we have with us the true warrior, her sister, and even she will cause us little trouble.

"and then, my dear Azrath, there is us. It was by our power that Azrath was able to last one hundred years of war. If not for the tyranny and insanity of Trigon we would have _won_ that war. It was by our hands that weapons were forged and by our mind that magic was wielded. We were the true victors of the war. Tameran fought bravely, but against our strong spirit we are unstoppable." She paused for only a moment and rested her hand on the hilt of her sword. Everyone knew it was the blade of the Untamed.

"but then, if we have such power why have we spent centuries toiling under the might of Trigon, doing his will and receiving nothing in return? It is because our spirit has been crushed over time. Our forefathers were beaten and through them our will was stilled. We did not fight Trigon because we learned to fear his power. But now things _will _change. When we attacked the palace screaming for his blood he fled like a child. He _knows_ what power we have and he _fears_ it. He is a powerful demon, yes, but he is _one _demon. We are thousands. Standing together we can win this war against ourselves just as we would have won the war against Tameran."

The men, women, children, and even the beasts cried out in celebration. Trigon was afraid of them and they would win. Tonight or tomorrow, for the time was not yet set by the Freeblade, they would strike and by her hand Trigon would die.

* * *

"Trigon," She said and he looked up, his antlers scraping the ceiling, "The revolution is increasing in power."

"I know."

"I know that you know. I also know that you have done little to stop it. You need to control your people better." She growled

"My people I control, It's my daughter that is the problem."

"So get rid of her." He growled at the words. "Dose the great demon have a weakness?"

"No, no weaknesses, no fears. But she is my daughter."

"You killed her before."

"You think I would let her die. Hate her as I do she is still my blood."

"So, under all that you're still human." He growled and fire formed in his palms.

"That part of me is gone. I am all demon now. I have destroyed her before. I destroyed her, her husband, her home, as well as her sister and her home."

"You never actually killed any of them, just hurt them, broke them in the younger one's case. But, in the end you still let them live." Blackfire shook her head as if ashamed by his weakenss You will be nothing more than what you are."

At that he roared and ran at her. His great and powerful arms wrapped around her throat as he pinned her against a wall. She did not struggle to free herself or breath.

"You cannot kill me, half demon, you have a debt to pay with me."

"I _am_ full demon. The power of the universe is mine to control. And insignificant little rodents like you have no place to stand in my way."

"A demon has the power to kill mercilessly, to not hold back no matter the enemy. If ever you are to be a full demon you must do this. Prove that you are worthy of being a full demon by killing them, your own daughters. Then this revolution will end."

He dropped her then and turned away, walking pack to his throne. While his back was turned Blackfire rubbed her neck, the only visible sign of the pain he had caused. "How did you get to be so powerful?" He asked when he was sitting. "that is three times you should have died by my hands. That grip would have shattered one of the columns holding up my palace."

"Because I, unlike you, am full demon." She said and when she smiled her eyes changed to hold a hint of red before returning back to their original violet. "See, the nature of demons is to kill, steal, and conquer. Both you and I have done our share of stealing and conquering. But I am the only one who has been able to push aside my human desires and kill people I am close to. I destroyed my home with my hands and, though I am not proud of it, I have done what I must to have vengeance."

"I . . . I am not like you."

"I know that. Compared to me you are nothing." He growled, "Poor, poor trigon. I can see everything in you, things others can't."

"How can you-"

"The eyes of a demon are ever resourceful. But now I realize it. You were born human, not even able to claim to have azrathian blood. You only found your way here because someone left a book where you could see it. All those centuries ago Azrath wasn't much different than your legendary Peacelands. But you craved power and had to lie, cheat, and fight your way to the top. But when you reached there it wasn't enough and you sold yourself to demons to have that power. Once you had it, it wasn't enough. You had to get more, so you turned back to your home and let your cult thrive. It was easy enough, humans are always looking for some higher power to pray to like it will solve all their problems. It is through that cult that you met Arielle and through her created Raven. But no matter your history, your human blood still there."

"So, you know that much." He growled, "And it is more than anyone in Azrath ever has."

"It only explains why you didn't kill the untamed when you had the chance. I imagine you knew she would find the Hero's heart, probably even left it there for her to find."

"You do not know what happened that night. I broke my youngest that night, it was all that need be done."

"but you did not kill the eldest. With her dead all this could be avoided." She turned away facing a window that, with her sharp eyes, let her see the very edges of the peacelands. "The Untamed, she is fierce and strong, as you trained her."

"Just like you."

"Yes, I know, but even if this revolution she leads is bathed in blood she doesn't crave power. She doesn't want to conquer. She kills, though not unreservedly like demons should. She doesn't steal, she doesn't conquer. It's almost as if she's not a demon at all. You were mortal when you sired her."

"There you are mistaken. For that to be true she would have to be centuries old."

"Then why is she so human."

"In a word: her mother. A priestess of Azrath she was, the best there ever could be. I took her as my own and she bore my first child. Nula I let her raise for a while, but she taught her to be rebellious. So Raven I had sent away to the temples and let the monks raise her. I was happy with it. It was only when Nula got older and started feeding rebellion into her sister that it became a problem."

"So your inability to beat them into place is going to be your death."

"Oh, they won't kill me." He laughed and went to the window beside her. "Let them send their army and I will be waiting. Let the stones of the palace floor be stained with blood and in the end I alone will be victorious. Tonight I will become a full demon and both my daughters will allow me to gain such power."

"That's _just_ what I wanted to hear." She smiled, "But, remember our agreement: I aid you in your quest for ultimate power, and you live my little sister, and that boy, alone. I will see to them. Do what you want with the others."

"The trap for the Tamerainian girl has been set long ago. Just as you said, because of her friendship with Raven she has been welcomed among them regardless of her being our old enemy."

"And Beastboy's with them."

"A deliverer, Felinefeather, came for him not to long ago. She left the leader and the cyborg behind as you guessed and I knew."

"And because of it Starfire will fly willingly to her death and my revenge will be complete."

* * *

(A/N) alright, so that's done. be sure to review! Thanks to all of you that have reviewed so far and added this story to their favorites list!


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